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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.

Characterization of oxide based diodes

Lead Institution
Oregon State University
Principal Investigator
Gregory Herman
Project type
Exploratory Research
Recently the field of transparent optoelectronic devices has seen tremendous advances due in part to new materials developments, processing capabilities, and novel applications. Transparent thin…

Effect of NAPL Dissolution on NAPL-Water Interfacial Area

Lead Institution
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Principal Investigator
Martin Schroth
Project type
Exploratory Research
The release of nonaqueous-phase liquids (NAPL) into soils and aquifers is a widespread and serious environmental problem. The typically low solubilities of NAPL cause them to dissolve slowly; thus…

SEM-EDS Elemental Mapping of Weymouth Soils

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Kirk Cantrell
Project type
Exploratory Research
During operation of the former Weymouth phosphate fertilizer plant, sulfuric acid was produced to dissolve phosphate ore. The sulfuric acid was produced from Fe sulfide ore which was composed…

Segregation on Annealed R-Cut Sapphire Surfaces

Lead Institution
University of Maine
Principal Investigator
Steven Rivers
Project type
Exploratory Research
We are currently studying step/terrace formations on r-cut sapphire surfaces with miscuts less than 0.5°. These sapphire wafers are used as thin-film substrates in our lab. Through atomic force…

XRD Analysis of Indium Tin Oxide Thin Films

Lead Institution
University of Arizona
Principal Investigator
Darren Dunphy
Project type
Exploratory Research
An XRD study of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films for chemical sensing and organic light emitting diode applications will be undertaken in order to determine any structural differences present…

Atomic force microscope studies of environmental sensitive polymer

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Liang Liang
Project type
Exploratory Research
Polymers have been applied successfully in fields such as adhesion, biomaterails, protective coating, friction and wear, composites, microelectronics devices, and thin-film technology. In general,…

Characterization of sputtered ZnO films

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Larry Olsen
Project type
Exploratory Research
We are sputtering films of ZnO with a RF magnetron system, and wish to characterize the thickness uniformity and grain size. Mr. Dunham has suggested the use of an optical profilometer to…

Measurement of specific surface areas

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Paul Gassman
Project type
Exploratory Research
Would like to measure the specific surface areas of two alumina powders (non-hazardous).

Research Experience for Undergraduates: Materials Characterization

Lead Institution
Washington State University
Principal Investigator
David Bahr
Project type
Exploratory Research
WSU has created a summer program for undergraduates from the Pacific Northwest to gain exposure to materials characterization methods. This interdisciplinary group of 10 students range from…

The Schizophyllum commune proteome

Lead Institution
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Scott Baker
Project type
Exploratory Research
Background The authors, have in parallel with this proposal, submitted a genome sequencing proposal to the DOE Microbial Genome Program (MGP) for Schizophyllum commune (see attached pdf). This…

Norovirus TEM proposal, Straub

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Timothy Straub
Project type
Exploratory Research
Human noroviruses are thought to be the leading cause of non-bacterial gastroenteritis throughout the world. Recent data suggests that the viruse is undergoing mutation leading to increased virulence…

Host Cell Interactions with Human Infectious Diseases, Straub

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Timothy Straub
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Pathogenesis is a complex biological process between the human host and the infectious disease agent. In our previous successful collaboration with EMSL scientists (EMSL Project 16297), which lead…

Rhenium and Technetium Uptake by Iron-Based Materials

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Kenneth Krupka
Project type
Exploratory Research
PNNL is studying uptake of contaminants in corrosion products that will occur after breach of nuclear waste packages for conditions associated with DOE’s Yucca Mountain geologic repository program. …

Near Infrared Laser Spectroscopy of Water Vapor

Lead Institution
NASA Ames Research Center
Principal Investigator
Charles Chackerian
Project type
Exploratory Research
We will use the EMSL near-infrared (NIR) laser system to record absorption spectra of water vapor in a long-pass White cell that is located at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. The…

Profilometry Studies of Printed Electrode Films for Fuel Cell Applications

Lead Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Principal Investigator
Charles Windisch
Project type
Exploratory Research
This study will use profilometry to determine thicknesses of films being deposited on various substrates to be used as electrodes for fuel cell applications. The films are primarily carbon based and…