UCLA NanoMeTeR Laboratory Research Facilities

Dedicated Research Facilities and Equipment

Nanomaterials & Membrane Research Laboratory (7717 Boelter Hall)

- Membrane filtration simulators for characterizing MF/UF flat-sheet membrane separation performance

- Membrane desalination simulators for RO/NF flat-sheet membrane separation performance

- Hollow-fiber MF/UF membrane filtration systems with rapid permeate back-flushing

- Hybrid membrane reactors for nanoparticle-enhanced filtration and electro-filtration

Nanomaterials & Membrane Synthesis Laboratory (7714 Boelter Hall)

- Programable microwave systems for nanoparticle synthesis

- Ultrafiltration systems for nanoparticle and polymer isolation/purification

- Equipment for phase inversion of polymer dispersions into thin films

- Equipment for interfacial polymerization of polymers, films and nanofibers

- Programable ovens and furnaces for film cross-linking and annealing reactions

Nanomaterials & Membrane Characterization Laboratory (7713 Boelter Hall)

- Contact angle goniometer for powder/substrate wetting and surface energy analyses

- Particle micro-electrophoresis system for determining particle electrophoretic mobilities (zeta potentials)

- Dynamic and static light scattering for evaluating particle sizes and polymer molecular weights

- BET analyzer for powder surface area and pore size analyses

- Atomic force microscope mounted on inverted optical microscope

Graduate and Postgraduate Research Assistant Offices (6683, 6689 Boelter Hall)

Shared Research Facilities and Equipment

Water Quality Research Laboratory (7763 Boelter Hall)

- Standard water quality instruments: pH, conductivity/TDS, ion selective electrodes, turbidity, color, particle size, solids analyses

- Bacterial cell culturing, enumeration, optical microscopy, and micro-centrifuge equipment

- Optical membrane modules for direct microscopic observation of membrane fouling and cleaning

- Bench scale flow through reactors for electro-chemical studies (electro-dialysis, electro-oxidation, electrolytic hydrogen production, chlor-alkali production, etc.)

Water Quality Instrumentation Laboratory (7764 Boelter Hall)

- Standard water quality instruments: pH, conductivity/TDS, ion selective electrodes, turbidity, color, particle size, solids analyses

- Gas, liquid, affinity, and ion chromatographic systems for organic and ion analyses

- Flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer for trace metals analyses

- TOC, UV, and fluorospectrophotometer for organic characterization and analyses

In addition, we have access to atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), surface profilometers and ellipsometers, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray diffraction, mass spectrometry, proteomics and biochemistry instrumentation, elemental analysis and speciation, and other materials characterization and computing equipment through collaborators in HSSEAS as well as the UCLA Water Technology Research Center, UCLA Nanoelectronics Research Facility (http://www.nanolab.ucla.edu/), Molecular Instrumentation Center (http://www.mic.ucla.edu/), and California NanoSystems Institute Core Facilities (http://www.cnsi.ucla.edu/staticpages/core-facilities).