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Soft and Biological Nanomaterials
Contact: Oleg Gang
Novel methods for system fabrication are required in order to build
materials and devices that can take advantage of rich variety nanoparticles
that are now became available. Approaches based on self-assembly of systems
from nano-components might offer tremendous cost advantages and almost a
magical ease of manufacturing compared to lithographic methods. Besides, a
self-assembly can address tasks that are intrinsically challenging for
conventional lithography processes, like, a fabrication of thee dimensional
architectures or structures containing pre-fabricated nano-components.
The main goal of the CFN’s Soft and Bio-Nanomaterials Theme is
development methods for assembly of hybrid nanoscale systems from organic
and inorganic nanoscale components, understanding phenomena driving
structure formation and energy-conversion properties of these materials.
Our approach for system assembly is based the unique properties of
macromolecules, such as the recognition, re-configurability, and
reversibility of interactions, which are used to direct and regulated
self-assembly of nano-objects into functional materials with optical,
electrical, magnetic and bio-sensing functions.
Our focus
- Development a suite of
methods for precise assembly of nano-components of multiple types in
pre-determined architectures, ranging from clusters of a few nano-components
to extended structures containing billions of components
- Investigation processes
that stimulate, perfect, and reconfigure the state of an assembled system by
molecular stimuli and external fields.
- Exploration of energy
transfer in optically active nano-systems built by self-assembly methods for
potential light-harvesting and energy-conversion applications.
Associated Group Facilities
The group’s capabilities include techniques and methods required for the
synthesis, regulated nanoscale assembly and study a structure and functional
properties of soft and biological matter, and hybrid systems. Synthetic
capabilities include solution-based synthesis and functionalization. A suite
of in-situ characterization techniques provides structural and functional
probing for soft matter system, surfaces, and single particles using a broad
range of spectroscopic, x-ray scattering, optical, and scanning probes
methods.
- Synthesis
and Characterization Facility
Capabilities include techniques and methods required for the synthesis,
fabrication and study of novel hybrid structures and functionalities using
regulated nanoscale assembly and self-organization approaches. Capabilities
and expertise include solution-based synthesis and characterization of a
variety of soft, biological, hybrid and inorganic nanomaterials. We utilize
the range of x-ray, optical, spectroscopic and scanning probe methods for
structure characterization.
- CFN End Stations at
NSLS
In-situ structural characterization can be performed for surfaces, thin
films nanoparticles, biological complexes, nanofabricated structures and
hybrid composites under environmental condition.
- Advanced Optics Facility
A broad range of optical methods is available for characterization of
energy transfer phenomena down to single molecular/particle level. Our
capabilities include time- and spectrally resolved bulk/single molecule
confocal fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.
Group Members
Staff
- Oleg Gang, Group
Leader. Self-assembly on molecular- and nano- scales, soft matter
interfaces, x-ray scattering methods
- Mircea Cotlet,
Polymer and nanoscale optically active system, single molecule optical
methods
- Dmytro Nykypanchuk,
Macromolecular dynamics, colloids, surface functionalization
- William Sherman,
DNA-based nanotechnology, design of branched DNA structures
- Kevin Yager, Polymers and polymers
processing, x-ray and neutron scattering, and development of experimental
and analysis scattering methods
Postdoctoral Fellows
Student
Visiting Scientists
Last Modified: December 1, 2011 Please forward all questions about this site to:
Pam Ciufo.
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