Basic Research Interests:

• Polyelectrolyte-inorganic particle nanostructured films;
• Li-ion batteries;
• Rectifying Devices;

• Development of ultrathin electronic and optical devices and sensors based on nanoparticulate and nanostructured films;

• Construction of monolayers and Langmuir-Blodgett films from surfactant-stabilized semiconductor, ferroelectric,

• Experimental and theoretical investigations of surface pressure vs. surface area isotherms of particulate layers;

• Characterization of clay platelets and organoclay complexes on water surfaces in a Langmuir film balance;

• Formation and characterization of composite semiconductor, metallic, and magnetic particulate films under monolayers;

• Monitoring the in situ generation of nanoparticles between the headgroups of Langmuir-Blodgett films by absorption,

• Spectroscopic examination of the surface states of semiconductor nanoparticles localized

• Scanning probe microscopic investigation of nanoparticles and nanostructures (STM, AFM, MFM);

• Development of near-field scanning optical microscopy for nanoparticle imaging (NSOM);

• Examination of oriented growth of nanocrystallites under monolayers (BAM);

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• Preparation of monodisperse nanoparticles (metallic, bi-metallic, semiconducting, magnetic, and ferroelectric) as stable dispersions or solids.
• Chemical and physical modifications of nanoparticle surfaces for desired applications.

• Organization of monodisperse nanoparticles (in desired composition and sizes) into  two-dimensional arrays and three-dimensional networks with controllable interparticle distances.

• Preparation of versatile ultrathin films (with ±1.0 nm controllable thickness) from nanoparticles, polyelectrolytes, clay and graphite platelets by:
• spin-coating and evaporation,
• layer-by-layer deposition by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, and by
• layer-by-layer self-assembly.
• Characterization of nanoparticles and nanoparticulate films by a large variety of techniques including steady state and pico-second time resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy, surface plasmon spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electronmicroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and reflectivity, scanning force microscopy (scanning tunneling-, atomic force-, chemical force-, electrochemical force-, magnetic force-, and near field optical scanning-microscopies) and electrochemical and electro-optical measurements.

• Nanofabrication and nanolithography by scanning force microscopy.

• Measuring adhesion and friction in nanodomains and optimizing ultrathin lubricants.

• Investigating layered magnetic and ferroelectric nanoparticles as potential memory storage devices.

• Developing semiconductor based sensors, photovoltaic-, light emitting-, and electroluminescence devices.

• Developing composite and sandwich nanoparticles as catalysts.