In much of our work, we take advantage of self-assembly for the design of robust structures, which can be manipulated and controlled through the engineering of specific inter-molecular forces and chemical interactions with surfaces. We combine self-assembly with soft-lithographic and scanned probe lithographic techniques to enable the design of nanoscale test architectures. These include confined molecular assemblies for molecular electronics, polymer-metal heterojunctions for organic electronics, nanopatterned protein arrays for sensing application, as well as nanoscale metallic structures for plasmonic devices. The range of projects provide the students with a strong multidisciplinary background affording opportunities for training in chemistry, biochemistry, physical and analytical methods, nanotechnology and materials science. Students will also be exposed to a diverse set of research environments through collaborative interactions with several national laboratory facilities.
Students in our group conduct research on the surfaces and interfaces of materials. Our research is organized around three main projects: 1) nanoscale materials and devices, 2) nanotribology (studies of friction and adhesion at the nanoscale) and 3) biological surfaces and interfaces. The general theme of the work in our group is the development of custom engineered surfaces and interfaces. Much of this work involves establishing a fundamental (molecular level) understanding of the underlying chemistry and physics of the systems in question to afford rational approaches for improving current technologies and developing new ones. We utilize both top-down and bottom-up fabrication approaches, combined with self-organizing molecular systems to control and manipulate materials on the nanoscale.
Research
