Hamers Group Research Projects
Our research is aimed at understanding and controlling the structure, bonding, reactivity, and electrical properties of surfaces and interfaces. The term "interfacial architecture" is a good description because, just as an architect uses simple materials to build functional complex structures, much of what we do is use the physical and chemical properties of individual molecules to build more complex interface structures with specific types of functionality.
Here is a brief overview of the ongoing projects. Click on any project for more details.
Molecular and Biomolecular Interfaces to Microelectronic Materials:
We are investigating surface reaction mechanisms and the use of these reactions to tailor the interfacial properties of materials such as silicon, diamond, amorphous carbon, and gallium nitride.
Nanomaterials provide unique chemical and physical properties useful for the storage and conversion of energy. Ongoing projects are addressing solar-to-electrical energy conversion, nanoscale catalysts for fuel cells, and organometallic catalysts for oxidation of water to produce hydrogen as a renewable energy source.
To be useful, many nanoscale materials need to be assembled into more complex systems. We are exploring the assembly of nanoscale materials into complex systems and the development of novel types of nano-bio-electronic systems.
Combining chemical/biological functionalization with electrical and electromechanical measurements provides a way to achieve real-time electronic biosensing.
The properties of nanotubes, nanowires, and other objects are controlled almost entirely by their surfaces. We are developing new and improved methods for selectively functionalizing nanoscale materials with organic and biological molecules for applications in energy storage, energy conversion.