Research:
Materials Chemistry for Advanced Functional Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles
We are developing synthetic concepts to control nucleation, growth and passivation of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles in solution with ligands and polymeric stabilizers to design advanced functional materials. The goal is to achieve the proper balance of fundamental science to guide combinatorial materials science to achieved desired function for subsurface energy, electrochemical energy storage, drug delivery and bionanotechnology applications.

Nanoclusters Assembled from Nanoparticles
Organic (proteins) and inorganic (metals and metal oxides) nanoparticles may be assembled into nanoclusters with control of particle size and morphology to design a wide range of novel materials with desired properties. The size and morphology are controlled by tuning colloidal interactions and nucleation and growth pathways. Often the particles are quenched with polymeric stabilizers that may also be used to tailor interfacial properties and other types of functionality.