Synthesis and characterization of Nanostructured Materials

纳米结构材料作为先进系统的可能组成部分变得有趣，因为它们由于其纳米级（百万分之一毫米的尺度）尺寸而显示出不寻常且通常意想不到的特性。这种系统的研究和开发有望优化（例如）电子和光子器件的性能。纳米结构材料可能是掌握太阳能电池和生物传感器等其他有前途的技术的关键，并立即应用于能源和医学。在纳米尺度上控制结构合成的能力必将导致具有前所未有的物理和化学性质的新功能材料的开发。我的团队使用先进的技术进行定向自组装，并使用表面作为模板和催化剂来生长有序的纳米结构阵列，包括有机和无机（例如硅）。我们使用最先进的技术对所得系统进行形态学和化学表征，旨在理解和控制不同类别材料的结构/性能关系。我们还设计，制造和测试设备，其中我们集成了我们开发的功能材料。该方案将有助于：（i）更好地理解有机分子在表面的自组装特性，（ii）遵循表面限制的聚合反应，（iii）建立有机/金属界面的特性，（iv）确定和优化多铁性中涉及的物理和化学机制。（即表现出多于一种铁性）纳米结构晶体生长，以及（v）控制结构/性质关系以及理解和优化使用纳米晶体的所谓激子太阳能电池的性质（例如量子点）和金属氧化物。所有这些都将促进专门的先进材料加工和纳米级表征的重点研究活动，符合加拿大高科技产业的具体需求，并将直接培养高素质的人才，以应对我们迅速发展的现代社会的新兴科学和技术挑战。

Nanostructured materials become interesting as possible components of advanced systems as they show unusual and often unexpected properties due to their nanoscale (the scale of a millionth of a millimeter) dimensions. Study and development of such systems holds the promise of optimizing (for example) the performance of electronic and photonic devices. Nanostructured materials could be the key to mastering other promising technologies such as solar cells and biosensors, with immediate applications in energy and medicine. The ability to control structural synthesis on the nanoscale will certainly lead to the development of new functional materials with unprecedented physical and chemical properties. My team uses advanced techniques for directed self-assembly and for using surfaces as templates and catalysts to grow ordered arrays of nanostructures, both organic and inorganic (e.g. Silicon). We use state-of-the-art techniques for morphological and chemical characterization of the resulting systems, aiming at understanding and controlling structure/property relations in different classes of materials. We also design, fabricate and test devices in which we integrate the functional materials we develop. This program will contribute to: (i) a better understanding of the self-assembly properties of organic molecules at surfaces, (ii) following surface-confined polymerization reactions, (iii) establishing the properties of organic/metal interfaces, (iv) determining and optimizing the physical and chemical mechanisms involved in multiferroic (i.e. exhibiting more than one ferroic property) nanostructure crystal growth, and (v) the control of structure/property relationships and understanding and optimizing the properties of so-called excitonic solar cells using nanocrystals (e.g. Quantum Dots) and metal oxides. All this will foster focused research activities in specialized advanced materials processing and characterization at the nanoscale, consistent with specific needs of the high technology Canadian industry, and will directly train highly qualified personnel to respond to the emerging scientific and technological challenges of our rapidly evolving modern society.