The group's research focuses on surface chemistry, self-assembly of two- and three-dimensional structures, and molecular electronics. A new project focuses on paper-based sensors for detection of counterfeit drugs.  The main experimental techniques used are inorganic/organic synthesis, CMOS processing, and physical and analytical measurements of surface or materials properties. Scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, electrochemistry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical spectroscopy are used to get insight into the structure and electronic properties of molecules on surfaces or inside materials. The group's work is quite interdisciplinary and we collaborate with several groups in the College of Engineering

DNA nanotechnology

DNA origami are amazing structures that self assemble from a long template strand of DNA (usually a viral genome or plasmid) and hundreds of short synthetic oligonucleotides.  You can watch an animation we made showing how DNA origami are assembled here. 

We are studying fundamental materials issues for the integration of self-assembling DNA nanostructures (DNA lattices, tiles, or origami) with top-down CMOS fabrication methods. DNA-templated assembly of electronic components offers several possible wins as a patterning technology for nanoelectronics. Self-assembly of DNA can create objects on the scale of 10-100 nm as well as repeating grids or meshes that cover several square microns. Design principles are sufficiently understood such that DNA nanostructures with novel, arbitrary shapes can move from concept to reality in about 2 weeks. Students with an interest in synthetic chemistry can tackle the integration of non-DNA components with DNA nanostructures, while students with more of a physical or analytical focus can address fundamental questions about the yields, error types, and ultimate utility of self-assembly.

Guided assembly of biomolecules and nanoparticles

Electron-beam lithography is used in very high resolution CMOS fabrication processes. We are developing methodology to use the electron beam to chemically pattern a surface, and then to deposit biomolecules upon the very tiny chemical patterns. Biomolecules of interest include proteins, virus particles, and DNA.

Technology for the developing world

We are developing analytical devices to detect fake pharmaceuticals and perform other analytical tasks.  Several different tests are run simultaneously on a single sample.  The devices are paper based, contain all necessary reagents, do not need electricity, and can be read by taking a picture with a cell phone and sending it to a web site.  The overall goal of this project is to "crowdsource" chemical analysis, revealing spatial and temporal information that will be useful for  public health, forensic, and environmental applications.