Wrapping up Week 4
Wednesday was the day to analyze the nanoparticles we observed from Hassnain. He took us to Spencer for a breakdown of Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM/ TEM). TEM was used for greater resolution, but still became blury with our magnetic cobalt ferric nanoparticles ranging between 3 and 10 nm. With TEM, you could clearly see repeating patterns in the nanocrystals with the goal being one homogeneous surface.
I always found SEM to be more useful for Biology with a strong resolution on a micron scale as opposed to nano. Still, we were able to focus on the particles and obtain some ideas about their structure. In all honesty, it takes Hassnain over an hour to focus and he is gaining experience, so for us to work for 10 minutes each, you could imagine that there were some issues with the images obtained.
I should mention that Ismat took his lab group (including the four of us teachers) to dinner to celebrate Bakhtyar’s M.S. defense. This clearly demonstrates the rapport and amiable interactions he has demonstrated with his advisees. It has been a pleasure to work with all of them. (There I go feeling Yonko again).
Thursday was a day spent working on the Sputtering machine now that it is up and running, but that was primarily for Raleigh and Jessica. Megan and I were waiting until Monday to work with Bakhtyar on a new technique (spray deposition) since the PLD was down. We did some background information and he gave us a tour of his equipment and process on Friday. We would be working on it now, but there is a problem with flooding in DuPont, so we are outcast from both society and the building.
