Solution-grown Nanowire and Nanotube Arrays, and Ordered Hybrid Nanoarchitectures incorporating them

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Research in nanotechnology is moving from studying the unique properties of relatively isolated nanomaterial components to generating and studying nano-systems and nano-architectures with unique and in some cases counter-intuitive properties (e.g. negative index metamaterials). While the previous generation of components such as colloidal quantum dots and metal nanoparticles performed spectacularly in biomedical diagnostics and sensing more generally, the present generation of nano-architectures has the potential to meaningfully impact the global energy and emissions problems through the design of improved photovoltaics, thermophotovoltaics and catalysts. Such nano-architectures are most powerful when they combine two or more of the following components in an ordered fashion preferably with deterministic spatial organization: semiconductors, low-loss metals and pi-conjugated organic molecules. Towards this end, the Shankar group will use its expertise in one-dimensional (1-D) semiconducting nanomaterials and also build upon its strong track record in using 1-D nanomaterials in the active layer of devices such as photovoltaics, photocatalysts, thin film transistors and biosensors. ***1-D nanotube/nanopore/nanorod arrays will be used as a building block to synthesize artificially structured nanomaterials of greater complexity and enhanced optoelectronic functionality. The interaction of plasmonic, electronic and excitonic effects in such structures is phenomenologically rich and is only recently receiving the attention that it deserves. Such ordered hybrid nanoarchitectures that intelligently combine the above three components offer the tools to achieve the desired control over the activities of photons and electrons, be it through the improvement in absorption, manipulation of the optical absorption and luminescence, and enhancement of charge separation & charge transport. We further propose to study 1-D nanomaterials and hybrid nanoarchitectures containing them using a powerful suite of spectroscopic and transient techniques to probe their optoelectronic properties. The scientific goal of these studies is to gain a deeper understanding of the properties while the technological goal is to understand and overcome performance bottlenecks, and bridge the gap between material structure and device performance.****We shall continue efforts in advancing isolated nanomaterial components. We propose to do this by extending the frontiers of anodic synthesis of aligned nanotube/nanorod arrays to new classes of semiconductors and by unlocking the full potential of magnetic fields in electrochemical anodization.****Optoelectronic and photonic devices that involve the transport, dispersion and interconversion of light and charge, form the final goals of this research. Such devices are key to both the alternative energy and information technology industries.**