Synthesis and characterization of Nanostructured Materials

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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.