MISSION
The
Center for Chemical Sensor Development (CCSD)
and the Chemical Imaging Center (CIC) are
Research, Development, Education and Training
centralized facilities that operate as part of
the Department of Chemistry of the University of
Puerto Rico-Mayagüez (UPRM). Main thrust areas
of research and education are include
small-print to nanoscale chemical sensors,
although a wide variety of other chemical and
physical sensing modalities and of source-target
distances that range from microscopic distances
to meters are accommodated within the CCSD
umbrella. At the base of the CCSD structure is
our goal of providing our main customers:
undergraduate and graduate students with the
best education and training so that may become
skilled scientists and engineers. Cooperation
with the twin Research and Education Center at
the Department of Chemistry: the Chemical
Imaging Center of UPRM is fostered through
collaborative projects in which students and
professors from both centers participate.
Collaborations with island wide scientists and
with national and international colleagues are
also sponsored.
VISION
Chemistry is a central science. It nurtures from its senior sibling:
Physics and assists in the growth and development of its younger sister:
Biology. Being at the center, Chemistry communicates well with both of
its sibling scientific disciplines while contributing to the world economic
development (pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, plastics) with a sense of “green”
balance and environmental concern. Sensing chemicals: detection, quantification
and discrimination in the lab and in the environment contribute to the solution of
many modern problems that are related to natural development of society.
Spectroscopy, chromatography, nanotechnology and chemical computations are
used to train students to solve problems from the nano-world to the macro environment.
OBJECTIVES
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To develop sensors for
chemical and biological threat compounds: explosives, chemical warfare agents, biological agents, toxic industrial compounds,
pesticides, persisting organic compounds.
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To develop standards and samples to validate the various sensing modalities used.
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To study chemicals-substrates interaction to contribute to gain fundamental knowledge of sensing.
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To study physical and chemical properties of target threat compounds that may assist in sensing.
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To contribute in the solution of environmental problems and in making our world a “greener” planet.
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To foster collaborations with worldwide scientists and engineers so as to widen research projects sponsored by the CCSD and CIC.
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To assist in preparing well educated and trained scientists and engineers that may contribute to society to their full capabilities.
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