Current Research Interests

Our research is focused mainly on chemical processing and characterization of nanostructured materials and coatings for energy related applications as well as biosensors and biomedical applications. Emphasis is on the control and tailoring the crystallinity, surface chemistry, bulk and surface defects and morphology to attain desired electrochemical or optoelectrochemical properties for energy conversion and storage applications as well as sensing. Our recent research includes the following:

• Nanostructured electrodes for alkaline-ion batteries and pseudocapacitors
• Perovskite, dye- or quantum dot-sensitized and inverted polymer solar cells
• Nanostructured catalytic membranes and solid electrolytes for efficient ion transport
• Nanostructured materials for chemical and bio-sensors
• Nanostructured materials for catalysis applications
• Organic-inorganic hybrid coatings for scratch and corrosion protection
• Dielectrics, ferroelectrics, and piezoelectric films and devices

Past Research Experiences

• Coherent porous carbon - hydride nanocomposites for hydrogen and natural gas storage
• Oxide scintillation films for neutron, ɤ-ray and X-ray detection
• Growth of homoepitaxial and textured diamond films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD)
• Eelectrochemical vapor deposition (EVD) of complex oxide films on porous substrates as electrolyte and electrode for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)
• Porous and dense organic-inorganic hybrid xerogels, aerogels, and films by sol-gel processing
• Mixed ionic-electronic oxide conductors and oxygen permeable ceramic membranes
• Silicon oxynitride structural ceramics