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Projects

As a scientific user facility, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) provides expertise, instrumentation, and resources to 250 projects each year. 

EMSL projects displayed on the EMSL web site project page reflect project abstracts and information migrated to this page before April 30, 2024. To review current and past EMSL user projects, visit EMSL Science Central.™ 

 

  • Projects beginning at or after given date.
    Projects ending at or before given date.

Identification of biogenic Fe(11) oxides resulting from microbial reduction.

Lead Institution
Indiana University - Bloomington
Principal Investigator
Flynn Picardal
Project type
Exploratory Research
The objectives of this project are to: (i) examine the effect of iron oxide mineralogy on iron mineralization induced by microbial reduction of that oxide, (ii) determine the mechanism(s) by which…

Reactivity of bridging Oxygens on the Pyrophyllite 110 and 1-10 edge faces

Lead Institution
Brigham Young University
Principal Investigator
Barry Bickmore
Project type
Exploratory Research
The structure and eactivity of clay edge surfaces is a fundamental importance for environmental chemistry. Various models have been proposed, but experimental evidence to distinguish between these…

Surface Analysis of Phosphazene Polymers

Lead Institution
University of Idaho
Principal Investigator
Jean'ne Shreeve
Project type
Exploratory Research
Coatings of phosphazene polymers on metal and glass surfaces by spin coating and chemical vapor deposition. Surface analysis of these materials by TOF-SIMS and XPS to correlate the structure…

Automated Analysis of Field-Collected Aerosols

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
James Cowin
Project type
Exploratory Research
We have developed a field portable instrument for automated collection of particles on a time-resolved basis. Essential to this project is having access to automated particle analysis. This…

Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry for Planetary Surface Instruments

Lead Institution
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Greg Cardell
Project type
Exploratory Research
We are developing a geochemistry instrument for deployment on the surface of Mars. Ion trap mass spectrometry may be an appropriate mass detection technique for this instrument. Michael Alexander…

Surface films on molybdenum

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
James Cowin
Project type
Exploratory Research
We are looking at surfaces of molybdenum with the scanning electron microscope, to look at the quality of overlayer films on the molybdenum and to check their chemical composition.

SEM X-ray mapping of ceramic joints

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Charles Lewinsohn
Project type
Exploratory Research
The objective is to understand the microstructure of ceramic joints fabricated by a novel method. The method was developed at PNNL and the current work involves an SBIR contract at Sienna…

Surface Characterization of Iron Bearing and Matrix Minerals

Lead Institution
Montana State University
Principal Investigator
Brent Peyton
Project type
Exploratory Research
Using Atomic Force Microscopy, the surfaces of various iron bearing and matrix minerals will be examined to determine the topography and degree of roughness. Images will be collected of the…

Surface Characterization of Iron Bearing and Matrix Minerals

Lead Institution
Montana State University
Principal Investigator
Brent Peyton
Project type
Exploratory Research
Using Atomic Force Microscopy, the surfaces of various iron bearing and matrix minerals will be examined to determine the topography and degree of roughness. Images will be collected of the…

Test mass characterization for precision gravitational tests

Lead Institution
University of Washington
Principal Investigator
Charles Hoyle
Project type
Exploratory Research
In order to accurately characterize the test masses used in our worl-leading tests of the gravitational inverse-square law at the University of Washington, we must know the surface roughness and…

57Fe Mossbauer Spectroscopic Study of Fe Redox Centers in Titanium Silicates

Lead Institution
Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Org. (ANSTO)
Principal Investigator
Victor Luca
Project type
Exploratory Research
Novel microporous titanosilicates display unique sorption and catalytic properties and are consequently being intensively studied. For instance TS-1, a member of the MFI topological family, when…

Infrared Spectroscopic Investigations of Mixed-Metal Layered Hydroxides

Lead Institution
Michigan State University
Principal Investigator
Robert Kirkpatrick
Project type
Exploratory Research
Mixed-metal layered hydroxides are among the few oxide-based materials that have significant permanent anion exchange capacity due to isomorphous substitution. They occur naturally and in cement…

Characterization of chromate reductase of Pseudomonas putida

Lead Institution
Stanford University
Principal Investigator
A Matin
Project type
Exploratory Research
A soluble chromate reductase has been purfied to homogeneity n Dr. Matin's Lab at Stanford University. It is very likely that this enzyme reduces toxic Cr(V1) to nontoxic Cr(III). to…

Bonding and electron density distributions in layered silicate minerals

Lead Institution
Sandia National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Randy Cygan
Project type
Exploratory Research
Layered silicate minerals play an important role in the transport/fixation of radionuclide contaminants. Interlayer charge distributions are know to have a substantial effect on the cation exchange…