How do you turn sunlight into electricity? My research program focuses on photovoltaic materials, which are at the heart of solar energy technology. I am especially interested in the nanoscale structure of these materials, which determines their properties in photovoltaic applications. My students and I are investigating ways to improve a material's structure by controlling the shape of its crystals. Using chemistry, we can grow, shape, and assemble inorganic crystals into nanoscale structures, such as semiconducting nanorod arrays. Our research methods include pH-controlled crystallization, sol-gel film deposition, silicon micromachining, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy.

I bring a materials-science perspective into my courses, emphasizing the way that a compound's properties affect its function in modern technologies. In Nanoscience Lab, for example, students use functional materials to construct working solar cells, and are ultimately challenged to improve these devices using their knowledge of chemistry and materials.

Areas of Expertise

Materials science, crystal growth, surface chemistry

Education

Ph.D., Cornell University
B.S., University of California, San Diego

Courses Taught

CHEM 122 Honors Introductory Chemistry
CHEM 343 Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM 123 Introductory Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 126.04 Nanoscience Lab
CHEM 341 Instrumental Analysis
CHEM 125 Materials Chemistry and Nanoscience