Laboratory of transparent, conducting, photo-active and carbon-based thin films

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From the 1996 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, recognizing the synthesis of fullerene, to the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics, awarded to the discovery of graphene, carbon-based materials have evolved into one of the hottest area in materials science. ***Differently from mainstream research in graphene, Fanchini's Laboratory of transparent, conducting, photo-active and carbon-based thin films, stemming from the Tier 2 CRC awarded to the PI, specializes in the synthesis, characterization and utilization of carbon-based thin films formed by PATCHWORKS of platelets of graphene or other carbon-based and organic nanomaterials, arranged like in jigsaw puzzles. Strong interest on these films stems from their ease of preparation by solution processing (which is uniquely suited for initiating to research HQP trainees in relatively small groups) and from their intriguing physico-chemical properties. Although many of such properties are reminiscent of individual graphene layers, a number of other concepts related to their NANOCOMPOSITE nature is required to design patchwork graphene films. Our transparent electrodes for flexible solar cells and LEDs have been taking unique advantages from our deeper understanding of the electro-optical properties of these films at the nanoscale. We also have been exploring devices based on their extreme thermal conductivity since our development of solution-processed graphene thin films of 2nd generation, as opposed to 1st generation graphene oxide-based films that were too rich in defects to enable thermal applications. After being instrumental in developing both 1st and 2nd generation of graphene thin films, Fanchini's Lab is now proposing new endeavors toward graphene-based thin films of 3rd generation, in which the application of nanoparticles and nanopores selectively modify the properties of each individual platelet. Such efforts will result in new devices, including the first prototype of energy-efficient and reversible graphene-based water filter. ***Nanoscale investigation of "patchwork" graphene thin films is uniquely facilitated when conducted in parallel with nano-optoelectronics instrument development. Stemming from Fanchini's recent development of the world-first three-dimensional scanning near-field optical technique, enabling educated design of nanoplasmonic solar cells, two new endeavors are here proposed: 1) nano-optical techniques for imaging photoexcitation in solar cells, either graphene-based or not, and 2) the first ever nano-thermo-optical techniques for imaging interfacial thermal resistivity, enabling graphene-based efficient thermal management in electronic devices.***These 5-year endeavors are instrumental to Fanchini's Lab longer term plans to use carbon-based nanomaterials and nano-optoelectronics to address Canada's demand for sustainable energy and to train the much needed, next generation of HQP in this area. ********