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Nanodevice Applications for Energy
Nanomaterials are driving innovation in optical and electronic devices, however, realizing the full potential of nanoscale matter in device technologies requires the integration of the nanoscale building blocks with other components of the device. Nanostructures can also be important precursors in the low-cost and greener manufacture of more traditional microscale devices and to exotic new materials. Thus, developing environmentally-benign assembly methods and identifying approaches to interface nanomaterials with macroscopic structures are being explored to produce greener, high-performance devices and nanostructured materials.
Thrust Group Lead: Dr. Mark Lonergan (UO)
Self-assembled fractal nanocircuits - a green approach to nanoscale energy transport
This task focuses on development of a self-assembly approach to fabricating novel electronic circuits which hand an underlying fractal architecture. Gold nanoparticles will be electrostatically anchored to a scaffold of DNA strands. The nanoparticles form the conducting 'wires' of the circuit and the underlying DNA strands determine the fractal architecture of the circuit that connects the source and train electrodes.
Development of nanomaterials for energy storage
This task studies the design of nanomaterials and nanomaterials-based devices for energy storage applications. In particular, we focus on (i) biological fabrication and characterization of nanostructured metal oxide thin films for photovoltaic and energy storage applications; (ii) advance nanoparticle-based electronic and photonic devices through control of the transport and injection of charges in semiconductor nanoparticle films; and (iii) investigate an approach to creating hybrid organic-inorganic solar cells using conductive organic polymers based on porphyrins integrated with inorganice semiconductors.
Nanostructured solds for high-efficiency energy production and storage
This task uses non-epitaxial vapor and solution-based processing of thin films to demonstrate new levels of electrical control for efficient production and storage of solar energy by using environmentally benign materials and processes.
Projects completed under this Thrust
Electronic and optical properties of nanoparticle assemblies toward sensors, adaptive materials, photovoltaics, and photodetectors. Dr. Richard Taylor and Dr. James Hutchison (UO)
This study concerned the detection and characterization of phase coherence and chaotic electron dynamics in mesoscopic semiconductor arrays and gold nanoparticle arrays on DNA scaffolds. We charted these phenomena as a function of the coupling strength between individual array elements. Potential applications centered primarily on the ability to control the devices' chaotic sensitivity, which is a desirable property for high speed switches and novel electromagnetic sensors.
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