Nanomaterials

The synthesis of new nanoscale materials with unique physical properties can enable revolutionary advances in science and technology. The Lieber group are leaders in the design, synthesis, characterization, and hierarchical assembly of nanoscale materials. In addition, the Lieber group are leaders in characterizing fundamental structural and physical properties of these materials, and also fabricating and characterizing novel device structures and arrays of devices that are used in studies at the interface with biology and medicine. Research areas being pursued include the following:

Nanomaterials synthesis. We are pursuing studies of the growth and characterization of nanomaterials with an emphasis on the design and synthesis of nanowires with novel morphologies and complex modulation of dopant and/or composition in order to realize building blocks with novel electronic/photonic properties and/or morphologies that enable new opportunities in the life sciences.
Nanomaterials properties. Illuminating fundamental structural and physical properties of newly synthesized nanomaterials is central to both further synthetic advances and ‘applications’ of the nanostructures in other areas. In this regard, the Lieber group carries out state-of-the-art electron microscopy work to characterize atomic-level and up structure and composition, as well as measurements at the single nanostructure level to reveal electrical and optical properties.
Assembly of nanostructures. Controlled assembly of nanoscale wires and other nanomaterials is central to realizing our bottom-up paradigm of nanodevice arrays through functional systems, and as such we have maintained strong effort in developing both sophisticated and practical methods for hierarchical organization of nanomaterials. These studies are often motivated by and demonstrated with the development of novel tools and technologies that can open up opportunities at the interface with other areas of science.

Selected Publications

A. Zhang, G. Zheng and C.M. Lieber, Nanowires: Building blocks for nanoscience and nanotechnology, Springer 2016. [download pdf]
Y.-S. No, R. Gao, M. Mankin, R. Day, H.-G. Park and C.M. Lieber, “Encoding active device elements at nanowire tips,” Nano Lett. 16, 4713-4719 (2016). [download pdf] [supplementary info]
R. Day, M. Mankin and C.M. Lieber, “Plateau-Rayleigh crystal growth of nanowire heterostructures: Strain-modified surface chemistry and morphological control in one, two and three dimensions,” Nano Lett. 16, 2830-2836 (2016). [download pdf] [supplementary info]
Y. Zhao, J. Yao, L. Xu, M. Mankin, Y. Zhu, H. Wu, L. Mai, Q. Zhang and C.M. Lieber, “Shape-controlled deterministic assembly of nanowires,” Nano Lett. 16, 2644-2650 (2016). [download pdf] [supplementary info]
R. Day, M. Mankin, R. Gao, Y.-S. No, S.-K. Kim, D. Bell, H.-G. Park and C.M. Lieber, “Plateau-Rayleigh crystal growth of periodic shells on one-dimensional substrates,” Nat. Nanotechnol. 10, 345-352 (2015). [download pdf] [supplementary info]

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