Projects

Designer Defects

Our group is creating monolayer and nanoscale transistors with designed defects: both in terms of the type and concentration of defects. The combined experimental and computational research will enable greater understanding of charge transport in molecular materials.

Single-Molecule Piezoelectric Springs

Piezoelectric materials deform shape in response to an electric field and are used in everything from high-tech atomic force microscopes (AFM) to airbag impact sensors in cars. Our group is creating nanoscale piezoelectric materials with high deformation. Potential applications include energy generation and highly sensitive sensors.

Dynamic Self-Assembly

Much research in nanoscale materials use different forms of “self-assembly” to create large supramolecular arrays. Our group is combining theory and experiment to understand the intermolecular forces at work, including electronic polarizability. The goal is to build a dynamic self-assembly process, which allows us to create multiple shapes and change between them on demand.