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Department of Materials

Nanotechnology and Nanoscale CharacterisationSEM image of ordered nanoporous silver

Nanotechnology is concerned with design and construction of materials and devices with molecular and atomic precision, at dimensions ranging nanometres to micrometres. Its influence extends from fields as diverse as nano-electronics and bioengineering to molecular recognition and self-assembly of nanostructures and devices. Underpinning these exciting applications nanoscience targets fundamental understanding of the scale dependent properties of complex systems.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are highly interdisciplinary drawing on the skills and knowledge in traditional disciplines such physics, chemistry, biology and medicine. The Department of Materials provides a natural home for this activity where the synergetic interactions among scientists with different backgrounds are key to progress.

The Department of Materials is also a major participant in the activities of the London Centre for Nanotechnology - a UK-based multidisciplinary research centre, whose aim is to provide the nanoscience and nanotechnology needed to solve major problems in information processing, healthcare, and energy and environment.

People

Academic staff involved in nanotechnology research and nanoscale characterisation include: Dr Mary P Ryan, Dr Jason Riley, Dr David S McPhail and Dr Martyn A McLachlan.

Projects

Research projects within Nanotechnology and Nanoscale Characterisation include:

  • Research highlight 1: Correlation of electron and X-ray spectroscopies in nanoscale systems
  • Research highlight 2: A hybrid nanoparticle-liposome assay for measuring phospholipase activity
  • Bio responsive nanomaterials
  • Cadmium selenide nanoparticles for antibodybased sensors
  • Chemistry, structure and bonding in high-k gate oxide stacks
  • Correlation of electron and X-ray tomography of porous materials
  • Counting atoms
  • Cytotoxicity of ZnO nanowires using a correlative microscopy strategy
  • Degradation behaviour of nanocrystalline metals
  • Determination of surface and interface processes in materials science
  • Development of model hybrid solar cells
  • Doped magnetic ZnO p-n junction heterostructures for nano-spintronic devices
  • Electrodeposition of ZnO for photovoltaic applications
  • Fabrication and characterisation of quantum dot sensitised photoanodes
  • Fabrication of nanorods on the industrial scale
  • Formation of magnetically-doped ZnO nanostructures by solution deposition processes
  • High-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) of plasmonic nanostructures
  • Imaging alzheimer’s plaques inside cells using a Se-labelling strategy
  • In situ electrical biasing of novel nanostructures in the TEM
  • Investigations of monolayer protected metal nanoparticle systems and their biological interactions
  • Multisegmented nanorods for optical applications
  • Nanomaterials for hybrid photovoltaic applications
  • Nanostructured materials for SERS-active substrates
  • Nanoparticles in suspension: effect of shape and size on rheological behaviour of high volume fraction  suspension
  • New routes to optimised multiferroics
  • Size effects in nanoscale dielectric materials
  • The biostability and toxicological potential of carbon nanotubes inside cells
  • The TITAN at Imperial College London
  • Using surface enhanced raman scattering for single molecule detection

Further information on all these projects can be found in the latest Annual Report and Research in Progress.