Virginia Tech: Invent the Future Department of Chemical Engineering



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Richey M. Davis

Experimental Facilities


The NanoBio Laboratory (Room 240 ICTAS I Building) is equipped to prepare, characterize, and process nanoparticle suspensions, polymer solutions, and ultrathin polymer films. The laboratory is specifically equipped with:
  • Malvern Zetasizer Nano-ZS for conducting dynamic and static light scattering and for measuring zeta potential of colloids
  • NanoSight NS500 for measuring particle size distribution using nanoparticle tracking analysis
  • QCM-D E4 system, Q-Sense Inc. quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring for characterizing the mass/area and viscoelastic properties of nanostructured thin films
  • Malvern CGS-3 variable angle light scattering instrument capable of both dynamic and static light scattering measurements
  • Wyatt Optilab DSP interferometric refractometer for measuring the refractive index increment
  • TA Instruments AR-G2 rheometer for studying complex fluids
  • Multi-inlet vortex mixer and an impingement jet mixer for making well-defined nanoparticles using a rapid precipitation process
  • StratoSequence VI robotic system for automated fabrication of layer-by-layer polymer films
  • Millipore Synergy UV water purification system that produces Type 1 water (18.2 MΩcm at 25°C) suitable for HPLC and other spectrophotometric/spectroscopic analytical techniques
  • UV/Ozone cleaner and SPI Plasma Prep Plasma Etcher/Cleaner systems for preparing clean surfaces for use in film deposition and particle syntheses
  • Envirco Laminar flow module equipped with prefilter and HEPA filter that removes 99.99% of particles larger than 0.03 microns from incoming air so that the work area is exposed to ultraclean air that meets ISO Class 5 (Class 100) standards
  • Sorvall Legend X1 table-top centrifuge with maximum speed/relative centrifugal force (RCF) = 14,500 rpm/24,446 x G and temperature range from -10°C to +40°C
  • Accuspin Micro table top centrifuge with maximum speed/relative centrifugal force (RCF) = 13,000 rpm/16,060 x G
  • Labconco Console FreeZone Freeze Dryer System (joint with Professors Abby Whittington and Aaron Goldstein) - 6 Liter Console Lyophilizer with a 16-port drying chamber and vacuum pump
  • Ocean Optics UV/Vis USB4000 spectrophotometer
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