Our research labs are at the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, located in the Engineering Science and Research Building/Barrows Hall. We have six optical spectrometers that are the centerpieces of our work: – Renishaw 1000 Raman system with mapping stage – Bomem 102 FT-IR (mid + far-IR) – Bomem 155S FT-IR with 4 port option (mid + near-IR) – Bomem 110-E FT-IR modified for dual beam operation (high sensitivity mid-IR) – Nicolet 800 FT-IR (general purpose mid-IR) – Malvern 3000 HSA Zetasizer (particle size and zeta potential) Each FT-IR bench has differentiating capabilities and features, and is supported with multiple detectors (InSb, mid and wide band MCT, DTGS) along with various standard and in-house designed accessories. Standard accessories include ATR (u-ATR, flow-through ATR, circle cell), DRIFT (Harrick praying mantis with environmental chamber and Spectra-Tech), photoacoustic (MTEC 2000), and specular reflection (FT-80, variable angle). The laboratory is equipped with two vacuum systems for delivery of gases to various infrared and Raman cells. Two additional vacuum systems provide metal and organic film deposition capabilities.

Our research is integrated with two research clusters on campus: Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology (LASST). Extensive surface related equipment and expertise at the University of Maine is located within LASST, an interdisciplinary research organization led by faculty from the departments of Chemistry, Physics, and Electrical Engineering. Funding is provided by government and industrial sources, with a current emphasis on sensor-related technology. Paper Surface Science Program (PSSP). A consortium of about 22 paper-related companies provides funds to support students working on projects related to the paper coatings industry. The objective is to develop fundamental and applied knowledge about treatment processes and structure-performance relationships in paper coatings. Currently, we are using infrared and Raman techniques to investigate polyelectrolyte/surfactant interactions on pigment particles and for molecular mapping of coatings.

Publications

• B. J. Ninness, D.W. Bousfield and C. P. Tripp, “Formation of a Thin TiO2 Layer on the Surfaces of Silica and Kaolin Pigments Through Atomic Layer Deposition” Colloids and Surfaces A, 214, 195 (2003)
• H. Li and C. P. Tripp “Spectroscopic Identification of the Structure and Dynamics of Adsorbed Surfactants on Charged Metal Oxide Surfaces”, Langmuir, 18 , 9441 (2002)
• S. M. Kanan, Z. Lu, and C. P. Tripp “A Comparative Study of the Adsorption of Chloro and Non-Chloro Containing Organophosphonates on WO3 “, J. Phys. Chem. B, 106, 9576 (2002)
• P. He, S. Bitla, D. W. Bousfield and C. P. Tripp “Raman Spectroscopic Analysis of Paper Coatings”, Appl. Spectrosc. 56, 1115 (2002)
• S. R. Hettiarachchi, M. A. Rawashdeh-Omary, S. M. Kanan, M. A. Omary, H. H. Patterson and C. P. Tripp, “Spectroscopic Studies on “Exciplex Tuning” for Pure Dicyanoaurate and Dicyanoaurate(I) Ions Doped in Potassium Chloride Crystals”, J. Phys. Chem B, 106, 10058 (2002)
• S. M. Kanan, W. T.Y. Tze, and C. P. Tripp, “A Method to Double the Surface Concentration and Control the Orientation of Adsorbed (3-aminopropyl)dimethylethoxysilane on Silica Powders and Glass Slides,” Langmuir, 18, 6623 (2002)
• Z. Lu, S. M. Kanan and C.P. Tripp, “Synthesis of Nano-sized Monoclinic WO3 Particles Using Chelating Ligands and Emulsion Based Methods”, Chem. Mater, 12, 983 (2002)
• B. J. Ninness, D.W. Bousfield and C. P. Tripp, “The Importance of Adsorbed Cationic Surfactant Structure in Dictating the Subsequent Interaction of Anionic Surfactacts and Polyelectrolytes with Pigment Surfaces”, Colloids and Surfaces A, 203, 21 (2002)
• W. T. Y. Tze, D. J. Gardner, C. P. Tripp, S. M. Shaler , and S. C. O’Neill, “Interfacial Adhesion Studies of Cellulose-fiber/Polymer Composites Using a Micro-Raman Technique”, 6th International Conference on Woodfiber-Plastic Composites, 177 (2002)
• S. M. Kanan, Z. Lu, J. K. Cox, G. Bernhardt and C.P. Tripp, “Identification of Surface Sites on Monoclinic WO3 powders by Infrared Spectroscopy”, Langmuir, 18, 1707 (2002).
• S. M. Kanan and C.P. Tripp, “Prefiltering Strategies for Metal Oxide Based Sensors: Use of Chemical Displacers to Selectively Cleave Adsorbed Organophosphonates from Silica” , Langmuir, 18, 722 (2002).
• S. M. Kanan, C.P. Tripp, R.N. Austin, and H. H. Patterson, “Photoluminescence and Raman Spectroscopy as Probes to Investigate Silver and Gold Dicyanide Clusters Doped in A-type Zeolite and their Photoassisted Degradation of Carbaryl”, J. Phys. Chem., 105, 9441 (2001)