University Instrumentation
Center
Established in 1973 in response to the
challenges of acquiring, operating, and
maintaining costly scientific equipment, the
center offers direct and easy access to stateof-the-art instrumentation for both research
and educational purposes. With a
professional staff, the UIC operates and
maintains these sophisticated analytical
instruments, while educating and providing
service, knowledge, and expertise to clients.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
The NMR is a powerful tool for the analysis
of sequence, conformation, and other
molecular attributes of biologically
significant molecules, organics, and
polymers, and also in the rapidly expanding
areas of organometallic and inorganic NMR.
Kinetic and dynamic studies can be done on
nearly all NMR active elements.
FT-IR
The Thermo Nicolet iS10 FTIR is a generalpurpose, Windows XP controlled instrument
designed for easy operation using the OMNIC 8
software. The resolution of the spectrometer is
0.4 cm-1, and the spectral range is 7800 to 350
cm-1. The sample chamber and optics are
purged with air with a dew point of -95oF. We
also have a diamond ATR accessory with a
spectral range cutoff of 525 cm-1 for use with
most samples.
UV-Vis
The Cary 500 UV/Vis/NIR Spectrophotometer covers the
wavelength range of 3300 nm (near infrared or NIR) to 175 nm
(ultraviolet or UV) with an accuracy of 0.1 nm in the UV/Vis
range and 0.4 nm in the NIR range. This instrument uses a
double beam, double out-of-plane Littrow monochromator and
dual double-sided gratings with 2 sources. Detection in the
UV/Vis range is with a R928 photomultiplier tube and, in the
NIR, with a low noise, electrothermally-controlled PbS
photocell. Spectral bandwidths from 0.01 - 5.00 nm (UV/Vis)
and 0.04 - 20.0 nm (NIR) are possible. Signal averaging is
available from 0.033 to 999 seconds and scan rates up to 2000
nm/min (UV/VIS) and 8000 nm/min (NIR). Accessories currently
include: square cell and cylindrical cell (gas and liquid) and
highly-adaptable, solid-sample holders for films, blocks, slides,
and membranes.
Confocal Microscope
The Zeiss LSM 510 Meta laser scanning confocal
microscope is used primarily by researchers in the
biological sciences to image fluorescent probes in
cells and tissues. However, confocal microscopes are
finding increasing use in non-biological applications
as well. Unlike conventional fluorescence
microscopes, the confocal microscope can collect infocus fluorescence from thin optical slices within
relatively thick specimens (typically at least 100 um
for biological). The automatic collection of z-stacks (a
series of images taken at different focal planes)
within such relatively thick samples allows 3-D
images, animations, and maximum intensity
projections (brightest pixels from z-stack combined in
a single image) to be generated.
Flow-Cytometry
The Becton-Dickinson FACSCalibur Flow Cytometer
is a four-color, dual-laser, bench-top system capable
of cell analysis using forward scatter, side scatter,
and detection of fluorescence in four distinct color
regions: > 670 nm (deep red), 653-669 nm (red),
564-606 nm (orange), and 515-545 nm (green). The
unit’s two lasers excite fluorochromes at 488 nm,
and 635 nm. This unit is best suited for the analysis
of aqueous suspensions of cells or particles with
diameters between 1 and 50 um (microns). Ideally,
samples should contain 500,000 cells or particles
per mL. Sample consumption can be varied
between 12 uL/min and 60 uL/min.
Transmission Electron Microscope
The Zeiss/LEO 922 Omega Transmission Electron
Microscope (TEM) is available in the Electron
Microscopy Facility in Kendall Hall. The TEM is a
research microscope with accelerating voltages of
120 and 200kV and has magnification from 80X to
1,000,000X with a resolution line of 0.12nm. The incolumn energy filter allows researchers to look at
unstained or faintly stained materials and tissues. The
high resolution objective lens allows the user to tilt a
single-grid specimen holder plus or minus 15
degrees.
Scanning Electron Microscope
The Amray 3300FE field emission SEM with
PGT Imix-PC microanalysis system provides
three-dimensional visual interpretation and
elemental analysis of a specimen surface.
The electron optics allow a depth of focus
nearly 300X that of a light microscope, as
well as a magnification range from 15X to
100kX at accelerating voltages from 1-25kV.
The SEM resolution at 25kV is 1.5 nm. The
2048x2048 frame buffer allows high
resolution (4.8 MB .tif) micrographs to be
saved on the SEM computer and/or
transferred directly to your office computer
via Ethernet or CD.
Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy
The AMR 3300FE SEM is equipped with a PGT Imix-PC energy-dispersive Xray microanalysis system, which allows the operator to control the
microscope beam position while using the EDS software. The system uses
an atmospheric thin-window detector capable of detecting elemental Xrays. X-ray maps of up to 8 elements can be obtained simultaneously. The
digital images and X-ray maps can be stored on a CD for later viewing and
analysis, and X-ray elemental maps can be color coded by element. Images
can be printed using a Hewlett Packard DeskJet 3520 printer. Software is
available for qualitative, semi-quantitative, and full-quantitative elemental
analysis.
XPS
The Kratos Axis HS XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer)
system offers surface analysis, surface chemical mapping, and
depth profiling of metallic, semi-metallic, and nonmetallic
samples as deep as 1 nm. The system is designed around a
127 mm mean radius hemispherical analyzer, which is
equipped with 5 detectors. The charge neutralization system
allows high resolution spectra to be obtained from insulating
materials such as polymers using either the standard Mg/Al
source or the Al monochromatic source.
Engineering Services
•Instrument Repair
•Instrument purchasing expertise
•Preventive Maintenance
•Pipette Calibrations
•Balance Calibrations
•Temperature Calibrations
•Small engineering projects