The Rhode Island Consortium of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (RIN2) https://web.uri.edu/nano/  is a multi-user materials characterization facility that enables cutting-edge academic and industrial research and education through access to advanced material characterization techniques for research in materials science, nanotechnology and the life sciences. RIN2 aims to service users from different scientific disciplines, with several integrated microscopic and analytical techniques and specialty sample preparation methods such as cryogenic electron microscopy.  RIN2 is supported by the College of Engineering at URI, NSF EPSCoR C-AIM #OIA-1655221 and 401 Tech Bridge.

Specific objectives of RIN2 are to: 1) offer advanced material characterization to users at URI, other academic institutions, non-profits and industries, 2) provide theoretical and hands-on training on these tools to the next generation of researchers and technologists, at the pre-college, undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate level, 3) enable reaching the highest standards of research in materials science and nanotechnology by expanding the available technique portfolio on an as-needed basis and advising from expert RIN2 personnel, up-to-date with the pertinent literature, and 4) connect researchers from different disciplines to solve grand challenges.

Major equipment includes:

• Scanning transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) with cryogenic and elemental analysis capabilities: JEOL F200 with a cold field emission gun, equipped with a Gatan 626 cryotransfer holder, Gatan RIO9 CMOS camera, Gatan K3 direct electron camera, Gatan Continuum S electron energy loss spectrometer (EELS) and JEOL energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS).
• Scanning electron microscope (SEM) with cryogenic and elemental analysis capabilities: Zeiss Sigma-VP field emission SEM equipped with variable pressure, secondary electron, in-lens and backscattering detectors, a Gatan Alto cryogenic preparation and loading module, and Oxford Instruments energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS).
• X-ray diffraction (XRD): Rigaku Ultima IV X-ray powder diffractometer.
• Confocal Raman microscope (CRM): WITec alpha 300 R equipped with motorized XYZ stage for large area acquisition, two excitation laser wavelengths (785 and 532 nm) and 10x to 100x objectives.
• High-content screening system (HCS): Perkin Elmer Opera Phenix high-throughput confocal fluorescence microscope.
• Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and microscope (FTIR): Shimadzu IRTracer-100 FTIR spectrometer equipped with attenuated total reflection (ATR) for solids and liquids, suitable for transmission and reflection measurements, and coupled to a Shimadzu AIM-9000 microFTIR system.
• X-ray fluorescence (XRF): Shimadzu EDX-8100 XRF system for elemental analysis of powder, bulk and liquid samples. Atmospheric, vacuum and helium measurements for low detection limits.
• Scanning probe microscope (SPM): Shimadzu SPM-9700 atomic force microscope (AFM) with options for measuring topography, phase analysis, force curves, Kelvin force microscopy, mapping of electrical conductivity at the nanoscale, magnetic force microscopy and analysis in liquid.
• X-ray microscope (XRM): Zeiss Xradia Versa 610 XRM for non-destructive 3D imaging of specimens. Absorption and phase propagation contrast, large area image stitching. In situ temperature, tensile and compression testing. Maximum spatial resolution 500 nm. For samples 5 cm diameter, resolution is 1 um.

Ancillary sample preparation equipment and tools include: