LCPNano
Nanoscience is one of the fastest growing areas of scientific development in the world, generating a technological revolution over the past few decades. In Brazil, UFMG has been playing a pioneering and cutting edge role in the development of topics related to nanotechnology. Nevertheless, UFMG has been acting as the headquarters of large groups and initiatives related to nanotechnology, such as the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) in Carbon Nanomaterials, the Technology Center in Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene (CTNano) and the Associated Laboratory for Development and Characterization of Nanodevices and Nanomaterials (LANano) of the SisNANO network, all coordinated by researchers from the Physics Department - ICEX. This history shows the opportunity to strengthen an already existing integration network, applied to a relevant area in which UFMG has a proven vocation. And it is in this context that we present the project for the creation of LCPNano.
The UFMG Nanomaterials Characterization and Processing Laboratory, LCPNano, is a multi-user structure whose mission is to provide infrastructure for the development of nanomaterials. The target audience is made up of the entire student, teaching and technical-scientific community at UFMG and other teaching and research institutions, in addition to private sector entities. LCPNano is based in the Department of Physics (DF-UFMG / ICEX), and its partner institutions are the Department of Chemistry / ICEX, the Institute of Biological Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine.
The composition of LCPNano is foreseen in the Institutional Development Plan (PDI) of the DF-UFMG, which has as its main guideline the "construction of a multi-user nanotechnology center with the purpose of fostering interdisciplinarity at UFMG". LCPNano currently includes a clean room space (area of approximately 120 m2), equipped with facilities that serve the processing of samples in a controlled environment, suitable for state-of-the-art nano-manufacturing steps. Among these facilities, we can list optical microscopes and profilometers, electric transport measurement stations, as well as nanometric scale lithography equipment and atomically thin film deposition. Another laboratory space is the Characterization (area of approximately 70 m2) which has essential equipment for characterizing nanomaterials, including a Raman imaging system, spectrofluorimeter, ellipsometer and X-ray fluorescence equipment by dispersive energy (EDX), probe scanning microscopes (AFM and STM) and bench-scale scanning electron microscope (SEM). The Chemical/sample preparation space was incorporated into LCPNano in 2020 and has infrastructure for chemical preparations with various equipment, including ovens, ultrasonic baths, heating plates with agitation and a chemical fume hoods.Taking into account all the investments made to date, LCPNano is the result of several initiatives that add up to an investment of approximately R $ 10 million.
