CAREER: Study and Control of the Optoelectronic Properties of Ternary Semiconductor Nanomaterials

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In this CAREER project funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Burda will study ternary semiconductor nanodots using nanoparticle synthesis and chemometric modeling, detailed characterization of optoelectronic properties by laser spectroscopy, and device fabrication and application-specific efficiency measurements. The fabrication of nanoparticles is based on two different families of materials, namely compounds of the type Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se,Te)2 and TiO(2-x)N(x). Characterization techniques include high-resolution transmission microscopy (EDS and EELS) and nanosecond-to-femtosecond spectroscopic measurements. In the end the investigator will fabricate photovoltaic devices using nanoparticles of the two types synthesized in this research. The educational activities of this project include involvement in the "Math and Science Partnership" (MSP) Outreach Program for Local High School Teachers, educational workshop programs of the NASA Glenn Research Center, and collaborative outreach projects. Undergraduate students and students from the local high school will be able to participate in the research experience of the PI's laboratory. A new course for undergraduates on the topic of nanomaterials will introduce students from different scientific backgrounds (engineers, chemists and physicists) to developments in the interdisciplinary field of nanoscience. Understanding and controlling the optoelectronic properties of ternary semiconductor nanomaterials is of great interest to many important technological applications, such as fabrication of photovoltaic solar cells and lasers as well as semiconductor-based photocatalysis. The outreach activities impact education from grades K-12 through postdoctoral training and from local to national arenas.