My Work
I started my career in nano research fifteen years ago as an undergraduate student, studying the optical properties of C60, a soccer ball-shaped molecular cluster of only one nanometer. After interviewing at a few universities, I found that the UB Physics Department was the most compatible environment that I could join. I am involved in diverse collaborations with people in various areas. The nano field itself is very interdisciplinary. No single person in a single field can accomplish the end goal which is to utilize these nanomaterials for applications. We need the collaborations from people working in physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, and medicine.
My work is focused on the synthesis of nanoscale materials and studying their unusual physical properties and potential applications. For example, the multicomponent nanostructures synthesized in our lab have the potential to be used as multifunctional bio-labels. They can be attached to cells to enhance the contrast of both the Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography Scan. It would provide more sensitive detection—the ability to distinguish a much smaller tumorous area—that could result in earlier medical diagnosis, and enable treatment at the same time.
I think the quality of life has already been affected by nano research. People are probably not aware that, today, there are more than 500 products on the market that use nanotechnology in one way or another. They include cosmetics, medicine, antibacterial coatings, sports products, electronics, and data storage. I would like to see the nanoscale materials we fabricate make a significant impact on society. I think that’s the end goal of our research.
My Research
Our group is currently working on synthesis and self-assembly of nanoscale building blocks, exploration of unusual low dimensional physical properties of matter, and potential applications of nanoscale materials in data storage, spintronics, high frequency materials, and bio-labeling.
We use solution phase chemistry and vapor phase growth techniques to synthesize nanoscale building blocks such as nanoparticles and nanowires with dimensions on the order of a few to a few hundred nanometers. We then organize them into an array for the fabrication of bulk materials and devices using self-assembly, a bottom-up approach as opposed to top-down approaches such as photolithography, typically used by the semiconductor industry.
These nanoscale building blocks and their assemblies often exhibit unusual properties that are very different from ordinary bulk materials. For example, the semiconductor nanoparticles (quantum dots) can absorb and emit light with different wavelengths simply by varying their sizes, making them very attractive materials for light-emitting diodes and solar cells.
On the other hand, magnetism in nanoparticles can also be very different from bulk counterparts. Small magnetic nanoparticles are single domains that switch their magnetization coherently, making them useful for future ultra-high density data storage media applications. This is now being aggressively pursued by industry and universities worldwide.
Recently, we are combining different material properties together by synthesizing multicomponent hybrid nanostructures. Different nano entities are grown on top of each other to enable them to, in a single building block, exhibit multifunctionality. We are especially interested in investigating whether the coupling between different components will result in novel or enhanced properties that are not available in the single-phase materials.
As an example, we worked on nanocomposite magnets that contain exchange-coupled magnetically hard and soft materials. The hard phase can provide a very large coercive field, and the soft phase can yield a very high magnetization. The periodic modulation of the two in the nanoscale will enhance the performance of permanent magnets used in motors and generators.