The goal of the microFTIR project is to implement a shared Fast-Fourier infrared (FTIR) microscopy platform at Sapienza to boost the innovation capabilities of the research staff in the field of materials and chemical sciences as well as to promote excellent research at the Sapienza in all fields where chemical imaging resolved in space and time is required.
FTIR-microscopy is an advanced technique that couples the capability of FTIR to provide a chemical analysis of samples, with the magnification power of an infrared microscope. This combination allows to add a remarkable spatial resolution, down to micrometers (e.g.
The here proposed FTIR microscope will provide an innovative and unique experimental facility easily accessible to the university staff by means of a web-based platform. Moreover, it will be fully integrated in the wide palette of advanced instruments at Sapienza to accomplish high quality, high impact and innovative research while supporting and developing links with industry, in Italy and abroad.
The acquisition of a state-of-the-art FTIR microscope will empower the research activity of the proponents at the Department of Chemistry and also boost the multidisciplinary research at Sapienza. The open access platform that will be developed by a web-based application will allow a simple and straightforward access to this instrumental facility.
The principal investigator of this project as well as the co-investigators have a strong experience in the use of FTIR spectroscopy in materials science and chemical analysis.
FTIR microscopes are not available as shared department facilities or at single research group level at the Dept of Chemistry or at the Dept. of Molecular Medicine. Thus, the FTIR microscope will disclose a remarkable upgrade of the current research and analytical approach and capabilities, by allowing spatially resolved studies and the observation of chemical processes at microscopic magnifications in realtime. In particular the innovation activities of 9 groups of scientists in two departments (i.e. Chemistry and Molecular Medicine) will directly benefit of this innovative instrumental platform in a variety of advanced research topics ranging from hybrid materials, electrochemical processes, photoactive materials, soft matter, polymers, energy materials, surface science, bio-materials for medical applications as well as chemiometric analysis tools (see the following section for an analytical description of the innovation capabilities of this technique and the impact on the various research groups).
At Sapienza level, standard FTIR spectrophotometers are diffused in many departments/research groups to carry out routinely research activities. The FTIR technique is very commonly used in chemistry, physics, molecular medicine, cultural heritage, biology and earth science. However, FTIR spectrophotometers carry out macroscopic analysis typically without any spatial resolution even in the millimeters scale. An FTIR microscope will tackle this limitation and will allow to open very wide multidisciplinary research fields where chemical images (see above) in 4D and 5D will disclose new innovative exploration capabilities.
The aquisition of FTIR microscopes have not been funded through the competitive calls (Medie e Grandi Attrezzature) in recent years (see the available documentation at https://www.uniroma1.it/it/pagina/archivio-finanziamenti ). Thus, the acquisition of the here proposed FTIR microscope will provide an innovative and unique shared experimental facility to the entire university. In fact, in the mid-term, the FTIR microscopy will be open to the entire Sapienza community to carry out multidisciplinary research activities in research fields that can profit of the powerfull chemical recognition ability and spatial chemical discimination of this technique, like as an example in culturale heritage diagnostic or medical applications.
The acquisition of the FTIR microscope will also extend the quality of the advanced training and techning potential at the Dept. of Chemistry and Dept. of Molecular Medicine. In fact, the experimental training of master students on this instrumentation will be gradually implemented in advanced classes at Master level (e.g. Corsi di Laurea Magistrale in Chimica, Chimica Analitica, Chimica Industriale or others) thus strengthening their experimental skills. Moreover, the easy instrumental access and the advanced training of PhD students (e.g. Scuola di Dottorato Vito Volterra in Scienze Chimiche and others) as well as post doc fellows at the Depts. of Chemistry and Molecular Medicine, or more in general at Sapienza, will extend their expertise and will boost the quality of their research.
We would like to stress that besides the acquisition of a new experimental apparatus, our project methodology also implies an innovation-stage where new computational and data handling tools will be developed by the proponents. These innovative computational activities will extend the ability of the state-of-the-art FTIR microscope beyond its current limits in order to tackle the challenge of the analysis of 5D chemical images, i.e. time-resolved FTIR micrographies.