Materials Characterization

The Materials Characterization Core facility is located in Room 006 of 245 Beacon Street on the main campus of Boston College. The facility supports multiple characterization needs, including surface analysis, optical analysis, thermal analysis, structure/phase analysis, mechanical analysis, absorption analysis, and so on. As a new core facility, we are also expecting to further develop the functions according to the users' needs.


Bruker D2 Phaser Powder X-ray Diffractometer (PXRD)
Structure Analysis
Phase Analysis
This benchtop device is used for quantitative phase analysis and crystal structure identification of a crystalline material. Nano-structure and crystallite size can be determined through small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis.

Surface Science S-probe X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) aka electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA)
Surface Analysis
It is a technique for analyzing a material’s surface chemistry. XPS can measure elemental composition as well as the chemical and electronic state of the atoms within a material. This spectrometer contains a monochromatic aluminum X-ray source with variable spot sizes, a hemispherical analyzer, ion gun, flood gun, high definition camera, and a vacuum system equipped with two turbo pumps and a scroll pump.

Park XE70 Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) aka scanning force microscopy (SFM)
Surface Analysis
It commonly provides ultra high resolution topographical surface characterization. The image is obtained by the tip tapping on the surface of the sample. Therefore, it also available to study the electrical, magnetic, and mechanical properties of surfaces.

Horiba Micro XploRA Raman Spectrometer
Optical Analysis
Structure Analysis
It is a non-destructive fingerprint chemical analysis technique which provides detailed information about chemical structure, phase and polymorphism, intrinsic stress/strain, crystallinity and molecular interactions. The measurement is based upon the interaction of light with the chemical bonds within a material.

Bruker Vertex 80v Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
Optical Analysis
Absorption Analysis
Structure Analysis
IR spectroscopy is based in the fact that molecules absorb specific frequencies that are characteristic of their structure. These absorptions are related to the strength of the bond. Owing the improvements of Fourier-Transform, FTIR turns into instant selective tool for a fingerprint of the substance.

Micromeritics AutoChem II 2920 Chemisorption Analyzer
Surface Analysis
Absorption Analysis
Chemisorption is used in development, monitoring and measuring of corrosion inhibitors and is used for measuring surface active sites on a substrate. During the process the adsorbing gas or vapor molecule splits into atoms, radicals, ions that form a chemical bond with the adsorption site. A mass spec will be attached for in-situ analysis.
Typical Applications:
Fuel Cell / Catalytic Reforming:
- Metal surface area
- Metal dispersion
- Average crystallite size
Partial Oxidation:
- Temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO)
- Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD)
- Heat of desorption of oxygen
- Heat of dissociation of oxygen
Catalytic Cracking:
- Ammonia chemisorption
- TPD of ammonia
- TPD of alkyl amines
- TPD of aromatic amines
Isomerization / Hydrocracking / Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis :
- Temperature-programmed reduction (TPR)
- Pulse chemisorption
- TPD

NETZSCH Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) 214 Polyma
Thermal Analysis
Phase Analysis
It precisely measures heat capacity, phase transition and oxidative stability of polymers or liquid crystals, which allows us to understand amorphous and crystalline behavior, polymorph and eutectic transitions, curing and degree of cure, and many other material properties. This device can heat at up to 500 K/min and cool at 200 K/min over a wide measurement range.

NETZSCH Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA) 449 F1 Jupiter / Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS) 403
Thermal Analysis
Phase Analysis
STA refers to the simultaneous application of Thermogravimetry (TGA) and DSC to one and the same sample in a single instrument. The tungsten heating element allows for measurements under helium atmosphere from room temperature to 2000°C and high-vacuum measurements from 400°C to 2000°C. The QMS is coupled for evolved gas analysis.

TA Instruments Discovery Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) 850
Thermal Analysis
Mechanical Analysis
Phase Analysis
It is used to measure a material’s response (deformation) to a sinusoidal load under a given temperature and/or time. Common physical properties characterized are glass transition, elasticity and viscosity of solid samples.

Agilent Cary 60 UV/VIS Spectrometer (UV-Vis)
Optical Analysis
Structure Analysis
The Cary 60 UV-Vis spectrophotometer has a wavelength range of 190–1100 nm that can be scanned in under three seconds. Our flexible UV-Vis spectrophotometer can be fitted with long path length cuvettes and solid sample transmission accessories. It is ideal for remote UV-Vis absorbance analysis when equipped with fiber optic probes. The sample accessories include a cuvette solution sample holder, solid sample transmission holder and a fiber optic probe.

Jing Jin, Ph.D.
Director
Dr. Jing Jin is a materials scientist who is primarily focused on magnetic nano-materials systems (1D & 2D). She initially joined Boston College as the Assistant Director of Magnetic Resonance Center after completing her Ph.D. from the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Connecticut in May 2017 in particular to oversee EPR-related projects. Before that, Jing obtained her B.S. degree in Applied Physics as well as an M.Eng. degree in Material Physics and Chemistry from Tianjin University in China, and M.S. degree in Physics from Clark University in the US. She is currently working towards her M.B.A from the Carroll School of Management at BC, and has recently been appointed the director of the new BC Materials Characterization Core.
Dr. Jin has intensive hands-on experience with many different characterization techniques, including EPR & NMR, as well as XPS, XRD, AFM, FTIR, Raman, surface absorption. She has led/collaborated on work characterizing the properties of many different systems encompassing organic and inorganic materials, polymers, and biomolecules.
Jing Jin, Ph.D. | Director
Materials Characterization Center, Boston College
245 Beacon Street, office 505D / lab B06
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3860
Office Tel: (617) 552-4766 Lab Tel: (617) 552-0873