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TABLE OF
CONTENTSChair’s Message
Associate Chair’s Message
Research Overview:
Thematic Research Centres
Thematic Research Programmes
Faculty Overview
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Biomaterials & Biomedical Devices
Computatonal Materials Science
Defence Materials
Functional Materials and Composites
Materials for Sustainability
Nanoelectronics, Nanomaterials and Multiferroics
Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science (CBSS)
Ocular Therapeutic Engineering Centre (OTEC)
NTU-Technion Biomedical Labs
Solar Fuels Laboratory
Membrane Protein Engineering (MPE) Lab
The Regenerative Medicine Initiative in Cardiac Restoration Therapy Research Programme
Biodegradable Cardiovascular Implants
Nanonets: New Materials, Devices for Integrated Energy Harnessing & Storage
Towards Efficient Sunlight Harvesting
Nanomaterials for Energy and Water Management
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MESSAGEFROM CHAIR
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Several publications were featured on the cover of Small, the inside cover of Chemical Society Reviews, a frontispiece article in Advanced Functional Materials, on the front page of Nature Asia Materials, in Nature Communications and Nature Chemistry. In 2011, our School set a tremendous precedent with two of our faculty being awarded the prestigious Nanyang Awards for Innovation/Entrepreneurship and Research Excellence. In 2012, another faculty, Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar who is the Executive Director of the Energy Research Institute @NTU, won the Nanyang Awards for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Our post-graduate students now benefit from joint degree programmes with Technion Institute of Technology, Israel; the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben-Gurion University, both in Israel, as well as the ongoing TUM joint degree programme with the Technical University Munich (we are one of the few Schools participating in the TUM joint degree). A fourth one with BOKU in Austria (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna) is also underway. These options clearly make MSE a more attractive choice for post-graduate studies.
Our graduate students’ experience at MSE is being enriched by even more frequent attachments abroad. In 2012, two students were selected for the Ian Ferguson Foundation Postgraduate Fellowship award to pursue their research attachment at Monash University and Karolinska Institute. Stints at these top-notch institutions have been immensely enlightening for our students and researchers. This aspect of our graduate student experience will only grow with time, particularly with our joint degree programmes that require students to
spend up to 12 months abroad. In addition, our students had performed extremely well winning several awards in the recent years such as the World Future Foundation (WFF) PhD Prize in Environmental and Sustainability Research which was awarded to three of our students in 2013, one in 2012 and one in 2011. At the Nano Korea 2013, one of our graduate students emerged as the top student from over 600 participants at the conference and it is the first time in the conference’s 11 year history that a foreigner has won the Grand Prize. As mentioned in the message by the Associate Chair (Research), our undergraduates had also performed equally well; together with the MSE graduates, they founded a company securing a grant from SPRING Singapore through the ACE start-up grant scheme.
We were worried about how to cope with drastically increased influx of funds; I am happy to report that we managed well, acquiring additional space at different locations to accommodate increasing staff and student numbers. Some of us will also spend time at the new CREATE campus, having also helped to design the spaces. As I hope you will see in the following pages, versatility is the highlight of our faculty’s research areas.
Professor Subbu VenkatramanChairSchool of Materials Science and Engineering
Hello again. In 2012/13, we had perhaps even better news to report than in the preceding years. Just when we thought we had “peaked” in terms of research funding, it increased even further this year: the research funding garnered by our faculty members in the last few years stands at an impressive $100 million! More specifically, it includes the Singapore-Berkeley Initiative for Sustained Energy (SinBeRISE) programme with University of California Berkeley, with Associate Professor Thirumany Sritharan from our School heading the effort. This new programme will focus on all aspects of solar energy conversion. Another award was for Nanyang Associate Professor Cho Nam-Joon under the Competitive Research Programme (CRP) Funding Scheme for his artificial liver project.
Our faculty members continue to expand our range of collaborations abroad: recent additions include University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara; University of Liverpool; Loughborough University; Linköping University in Sweden; Austrian Institute of Technology; and several Universities in South Korea. Other prospective industrial concerns also came calling, including Xenon; Procter & Gamble (which has hired quite a few of our PhDs!); L’Oréal; Mardil Medical; and Johnson & Johnson, to name just a few.
Our faculty’s research has attracted kudos worldwide. One of our faculty (Ali Miserez) attracted world-wide attention with his work in biomimetics, such as a new way to transform squid’s sucker ring teeth into a bioplastic that is 50 to 70 per cent harder and stiffer and more eco-friendly been made than any of the conventional plastics; another colleague (Hu Xiao) invented a simple, rapid and effective way of disinfecting bacteria contaminated water, making it drinkable.
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MESSAGE FROM ASSOCIATE CHAIR
(RESEARCH)4
The official opening of National Research Foundation CREATE campus in October 2012 marked the new laboratories clusters for our CREATE programmes, namely the funded collaboration programmes with Technion Institute of Technology, Israel; the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ben-Gurion University, Israel; and the University of California Berkeley, US. In December 2012, MSE successfully organized the UK-Singapore Materials Workshop, in collaboration with the British High Commission; and the Small Science Symposium: Frontiers in Nanomedicine, in collaboration with Wiley, VCH. These conferences witnessed the high quality research exchanges between our faculties and research staffs with fellow overseas experts, forging further research collaborations.
Our graduate students have made us proud by having a spot in the Young Scientist Award at the 9th World Biomaterials Congress. Three MSE PhDs won the World Future Foundation PhD Award in Environmental and Sustainability Research in 2013. In addition, we have also installed the MSE Doctorate Research Excellence Award and Technopreneurial Award from Class 2012 onwards. Notably, a team of MSE graduates and undergraduates founded a company and secured funding through SPRING Singapore
and appeared as the finalist in the business plan competitions: Ideas Inc and Startup@Singapore 2013. Several joint PhD programs have been established in tandem with close collaboration with several international reputable universities.
Moving forward, MSE will continue to strive for excellence in the research frontier, we anticipated more industrial partnership to be established and fruitful research collaborations will lead to successful breakthroughs in many aspects.
Associate Professor Lee Pooi SeeAssociate Chair (Research)School of Materials Science and Engineering
Dear all,
As a relatively young school, MSE research achievements are certainly laudable. The continuation of our uptrend in funding received, amounting more than $100 million over last few years is a testament of the quality of our research and the excellent efforts put in by the School.
In 2012, MSE has led an effort in publishing a special issue (issue 30) on “Advanced Materials Research in NTU”, featuring outstanding materials research progress in NTU. Meanwhile, Prof. Ali Miserez and his collaborator published a research article “The Stomatopod Dactly Club: A Formidable Damage-Tolerant Biological Hammer” in Science. In addition, MSE members have more than 4 publications in Nature Communications and Nature Chemistry in the last two years. Collaboration between MSE and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), led to the setup and launch of Ocular Therapeutic Engineering Center (OTEC) for the development of a post-surgical gel to help prevent scarring in the eyes of glaucoma patients. A research partnership with Lockheed Martin has led to a joint lab on nanocopper research. An industrial collaboration on making capacitors for mobile phone cameras has also been funded by National Research Foundation through proof of concept grant.
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The School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) provides a vibrant and nurturing environment for staff and students to carry out inter-disciplinary research in key areas such as:
• Biomaterials and Biomedical Devices• Computational Materials Science• Defence Materials• Functional Materials and Composites• Materials for Sustainability• Nanoelectronics, Nanomaterials and Multiferroics
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
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MSE is fully equipped with various types of apparatus and equipment for both teaching and extensive research use. The following are our laboratories and facilities:
• Biomaterials• Bosch-NTU Photovoltaics Joint Laboratory• Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science (CBSS)• Computer Facilities• Facility for Advanced Characterization, Testing & Simulation (FACTS)• Inorganic Materials Characterization• Materials Processing• Nanomaterials• NTU-Technion Biomedical Laboratory• Organic Materials Service Laboratory• Solar Fuels Laboratory
For details, please refer to www.mse.ntu.edu.sg
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
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STAFF MEMBERS
• Prof Subbu Venkatraman • Prof Freddy Boey • Prof Bo Liedberg • Prof Zhang Hua • Nanyang Assoc Prof Chen Xiaodong • Nanyang Assoc Prof Cho Nam-Joon • Assoc Prof Joachim Loo Say Chye • Assoc Prof Raju V Ramanujan • Assoc Prof Tan Lay Poh • Assoc Prof Alfred Tok Iing Yoong• Nanyang Asst Prof Ali Miserez • Asst Prof Cleo Choong Swee Neo • Asst Prof Eileen Fong Wen Mei • Asst Prof Ng Kee Woei • Asst Prof Terry W.J. Steele
AREAS OF RESEARCH
• Bioadhesives• BioCeramics for Orthopedic Applications• Biodegradable Polymers• Drug and Gene Delivery• Hydrogels• Nano-Biomaterials
Biomaterials& BiomedicalDevices
The Biomaterials Group focuses on using conventional materials (metals, ceramics and polymers) and nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes, nanocomposites, nanoparticles) for biomedical applications. Biomaterials are critical components of many biomedical devices. For example, in the case of a blood-contacting device such as a stent or a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), the performance of the device is dictated by the ability of the biomaterial to resist clotting. Surface modification, at the nano level, to prevent this from happening is a key area of research at MSE. More generally, our group’s work involves modification and adaptation of ceramics, polymers and nanomaterials to address several needs in the biomedical field. We have cell culture facilities, as well as extensive biomaterials characterization equipment. In addition, we are adopting novel techniques to functionalize biomaterial surfaces. In these endeavors, we work closely with doctors, surgeons and healthcare specialists from Singapore and overseas institutions, to address a genuine biomedical need.
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ComputationalMaterials Science
The Computational Materials Science Group focuses its research activities on the development and use of simulation software to predict, explain and explore structures, properties, and behaviour of materials. Various approaches are used and these include first principles quantum mechanical calculation, energy minimisation, molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo, dynamics mean field density functional theory as well as finite element method.
A broad range of materials are being examined. These include self-assembled system, electroactive polymers, superconductors, carbon based buckyballs and nanotubes, semiconductors, shape memory alloys, intermetallic, and some metals. The simulation activities are supported by workstations, LINUX HPC (High-Performance Computing) CLUSTER, and other computing facilities housed in the Computing Lab. While some of the works utilize commercial off-the shelf software like Materials Studio, ABAQUS, Ansys and Cerius, some develop their own using Java, Fortran and C++.
The group also focuses on applying artificial intelligence based techniques towards property, process optimisation and novel materials development. Artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms and other gradient based methods are cleverly coupled to achieve this. The computations are performed on a standalone PC with either a Linux OS (Redhat 9) or Windows.
STAFF MEMBERS
• Assoc Prof Chen Zhong • Assoc Prof Lu Xuehong • Assoc Prof Su Haibin • Assoc Prof Zhao Yang • Asst Prof Li Shuzhou
AREAS OF RESEARCH
• Computational Design of Materials and Device at Nanoscales• Computer Assisted Materials Synthesis (Selection and Prediction)• Modelling and Simulation of Self-assembled Systems• Atomistic Simulation and Modelling of Defects and Processing in Materials• Continuum scale Modelling and Simulation• Computer Assisted Process and Property Optimisation• Life Prediction• Quantum-mechanical, Classical Simulations and Modeling of the Electronic, Structural, Energetic and Dynamical Properties of Functional Materials• Computational Electrodynamics• Plasmonics
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STAFF MEMBERS
• Assoc Prof Gan Chee Lip • Prof Hu Xiao• Assoc Prof Chen Zhong• Assoc Prof Hng Huey Hoon• Assoc Prof Lee Pooi See• Assoc Prof Lu Xuehong• Assoc Prof Su Haibin• Assoc Prof Tok Iing Yoong Alfred• Asst Prof Huang Yizhong• Adjunct Prof Geoffrey Tan Eng Beng
AREAS OF RESEARCH
• Advanced Functional Materials• High Temperature Polymer Foams • Braided Textile Composites • Thermoelectric Materials • Polymer Composite Materials• Electrochromic Materials• Materials Modelling • Ceramics Materials• Protective Materials
Defence Materials
The programme focuses on the development of high value added functional materials and local capability build-up on strategic areas through collaborations with local and overseas expertise. The research activities cover materials innovation, platform integration, technology developments and transfers for various advanced applications in Defence.
Advanced materials continue to play an important role in the breakthrough of technologies for advanced applications via the development of new materials and systems with desirable functionalities tailored specifically to strategic interests in both component and system levels. Through systematic studies and mechanistic understanding of structure-property relationships of the developed novel materials, it is possible to precisely and innovatively control the processing of materials. From this knowledge, material scientists and engineers of MSE will be able to effectively facilitate the development of unique materials functions which will drive desirable technology innovations. Nano-materials and biomimetics are applied to facilitate the development of new systems and technologies such as protective systems for soldiers, advanced composites, functional ceramics and novel electrochromic materials.
The expertise in MSE is diverse and covers a broad range of areas such as high temperature materials, light-weight materials, metal and ceramics, etc. The School works closely with Temasek Laboratories@NTU, Defence Research and Technology Office, DSO National Laboratories and Singapore Technologies Kinetics on collaborations.
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STAFF MEMBERS
• Prof Hu Xiao • Assoc Prof Chen Zhong • Assoc Prof Dong Zhili • Assoc Prof Kong Ling Bing • Assoc Prof Lee Pooi See • Assoc Prof Joachim Loo • Assoc Prof Lu Xuehong • Assoc Prof Madhavi Srinivasan• Assoc Prof Alfred Tok • Assoc Prof Wang Junling• Asst Prof Aravind Dasari • Asst Prof Xu Zhichuan
AREAS OF RESEARCH
• Polymer Nanocomposites• Smart Materials• Sports Materials
FunctionalMaterials AndComposites
The Functional Materials & Composites Group focuses on the synthesis, processing and application of materials with advanced physical and chemical properties. Functional materials include materials with unique and extreme functional properties that contribute to applications in the fields of thermoelectrics, magnetism, superconductivity, electrochromics and ferroelectrics, etc. Composites materials are a class of materials where materials enhancements come in the form of matrix enhancement, filler enhancement as well as fiber reinforcement. Applications include structural ceramics, polymer and fiber-reinforced composites as well as nanocomposite particles and structures.
Work on multiferroics focus on both fundamental studies and applications that rely on the cross coupling of ferroic properties like electric, magnetic and elastic order parameters to generate unique functionalities. The synthesis and doping of various nanomaterials feature in the work to enhance and improve the efficiencies of electrochromic materials and devices. These also include developing various electrochromic platforms for commercial applications like smart windows.
Composites materials research play a major role in NTU’s newly set up Institute for Sports Research (ISR). Attention focuses on the utilization of new nanoscale phenomena and synthesis methodology in design and preparation of nanocomposites and hybrid materials to attain unmatched enhancement in mechanical properties or a diverse range of new functions. These can include thermal stability/flame retardancy, impact/fracture resistance, wear/scratch damage, and electrical/thermal conductivities etc. Materials like clay-nanocomposites, advanced polymer composites and fiber composites are also studied in order to enhance the properties and performance of sports apparel, equipment and playing surfaces.
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Materials For Sustainability
The programme focuses on the development of clean energy harvesting, solar fuels and energy storage. This programme is supported by major funding from NRF – Competitive Research Programme, CERP, and also EDB. Most of these research activities also come under the umbrella organization of the Energy Research Institute @ NTU. There are three main thrusts in this research programme and they are solar energy harvesting, solar fuels and energy storage.
THREE THRUSTS OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAMME
Solar Energy HarvestingResearch focuses on third generation solar cells such as inorganic, organic, and organicinorganic hybrid polymer-based heterojunction solar cells which offer a potentially much cheaper alternative way to harness solar energy. Important classes of solar cells being researched include sensitized solar cells, bulk heterojunction cells, and Copper Indium Gallium Arsenide (CIGS) type cells. Enhancement in device stability, efficiency and large area solution processing of these devices are priority areas of research.
Solar FuelsThe focus of this research is in the development of artificial photosynthetic materials for H
2O and CO
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developed are metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) which is classed as crystalline hybrid materials whose crystal structure is made up of extended 3D open frameworks of metal ions or small discrete clusters connected through multidentate organic spacers and also semiconductor nanoparticles that are solar absorbers and can convert the photon energy into chemical driving forces to catalytically transform water and/or CO
2 into high efficient fuels such as hydrogen, methane and methanol.
Energy StorageA promising way to meet the future demands for high energy storage – small size and light weight – is to integrate advanced, so–called “supercapacitors” with batteries. Placed in parallel with the battery terminal, such a capacitor, in addition to significant storage capacity, provides a current boost on high load demands. This enhances the battery’s performance, prolongs the runtime, and extends the longevity of the battery. Thus, supercapacitors can allow batteries to meet current and future energy needs. Also, novel device architectures, such as Hybrid Electrochemical Capacitors (HEC), which combine the advantages of Supercapacitors and Batteries in one device, offer a possible solution for some of the current challenges.
STAFF MEMBERS
• Prof Freddy Boey • Prof Hu Xiao • Prof Christian Kloc • Prof Subodh Mhaisalkar • Prof Tim White• Assoc Prof Chen Zhong• Assoc Prof Dong Zhili • Assoc Prof Andrew Clive Grimsdale • Assoc Prof Hng Huey Hoon • Assoc Prof Lam Yeng Ming • Assoc Prof Lee Pooi See • Assoc Prof Joachim Loo
AREAS OF RESEARCH
• Carbon nanotube based printed electronics• Charge storage devices• CNT based sensor for biomedical and gas
sensing applications• Co-stabilisation and Recycling of Industrial Wastes• Development of photovoltaic cells• Electrochemical charge storage devices• Environmental Protection• Fabrication of organic thin film transistors• Non-volatile memory devices based on
organic transistors• Photocatalysis and Environmental Catalysis
• Assoc Prof Lu Xuehong• Assoc Prof Madhavi Srinivasan• Assoc Prof Su Haibin• Assoc Prof Alfred Tok• Assoc Prof Wang Junling• Assoc Prof Yan Qingyu Alex• Assoc Prof Zhao Yang• Asst Prof Huo Fengwei • Asst Prof Lydia Helena Wong • Asst Prof Xue Can• Asst Prof Zhang Qichun
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The group focuses on research programmes in developing advanced functional materials based on the emerging nanotechnology and nanoscience field. Research in nanoelectronics includes developing new nanofabrication methods for semiconductor applications, reliability study of copper interconnect systems & packaging technology and synthesizing electronic materials.
New schemes for synthesizing advanced materials such as rare earth nanoparticles, plasmonic nanomaterials, carbon-based materials, one dimensional nanostructures, thermoelectric materials and multiferroics are also being actively investigated. The development of this group’s research has the potential application in sensing, green energy, environmental remediation, data storage, high-speed communications, nanoelectronics, nanophotonics and medical diagnostics.
The research group collaborates actively with Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Northwestern University, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California, Berkeley, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Laboratoire CRISMAT (France).
Nanoelectronics,Nanomaterialsand Multiferroics
STAFF MEMBERS
• Prof Freddy Boey • Prof Subodh Mhaisalkar• Prof Zhang Hua • Assoc Prof Chen Zhong • Assoc Prof Dong Zhili • Assoc Prof Gan Chee Lip • Assoc Prof Hng Huey Hoon • Assoc Prof Lee Pooi See • Assoc Prof Raju V Ramanujan • Assoc Prof Alfred Tok • Assoc Prof Sritharan Thirumany • Assoc Prof Wang Junling • Assoc Prof Yan Qingyu Alex • Nanyang Assoc Prof Chen Xiaodong • Asst Prof Huang Yizhong • Asst Prof Huo Fengwei • Asst Prof Xue Can • Dr Long Yi
AREAS OF RESEARCH
• Active and Passive Devices• Advanced Silicon Process Technology• Design and Modeling• Magnetic Nanomaterials• Materials and Process Development
for Nano-electronics• Microelectronics and Optoelectronics
Packaging• Multiferroic Materials• Nano-structured Interconnect
Materials• Process Integration and Reliability• Spintronics
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THEMATICRESEARCH CENTRES
THEMATIC RESEARCH CENTRES
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THEMATICRESEARCH CENTRES
THEMATIC RESEARCH CENTRES
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Centre For Biomimetic Sensor Science (CBSS)
In September 2009, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Linköping University (LiU), Sweden and Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), Austria launched a new research initiative on Biomimetic Sensing. The aim was to establish a strong and truly multidisciplinary bio- and chemical sensor activity at NTU. Biomimetic concepts in conjunction with
recent advances in biomolecular- and nano-sciences were identified as key components to exploit new sensor technology for biomedical, environmental and industrial applications.
Besides the technology driven sensor projects, the centre is also aiming at developing a deeper fundamental understanding of i) optical and electrical transduction mechanisms; and ii) structure-function relationships of potential soft matter sensor materials/architectures. Thus, CBSS is pursuing both fundamental and applied research projects. Another important mission is to establish strong links to industrial partners
Internal collaboratorsProfs Peter Preiser, Susana Geifman Shochat, Liu Chuan Fa, SBS, NTU.Prof. Shabbir Moochhala, DSO Natl. Laboratories, SingaporeDr. Melchior van Wijlen and Bas Ludolph, Optiqua, SingaporeProf. Chad Mirkin, Northwestern - plasmonics and sensingProf. Fredrik Höök, Chalmers - vesicle and bilayer architectures and gravimetic sensingProf. Markus Paulmichl, Saltzburg - membrane proteins and functionProf. Atul Parikh, UC Davis - soft matter and membrane biophysicsProf. Lars Baltzer, Uppsala - synthetic polypeptides and biomolecular design
active in the diagnostic and (bio)analytical sectors. Today CBSS hosts about 45 students and research staff. A few of the PhD students and post docs at CBSS are gathered in Figure 1.
CBSS also has been quite successful in attracting NRF fellows. Two of them joined CBSS in 2011. Nanyang Associate Prof. Nam Joon Cho and Nanyang Assistant Prof. Ali Miserez. These two fellows have definitely widened the research repertoire of CBSS in thematic areas like 1) biomimetic materials for applications in biofouling and bioadhesion, and 2) biomimetic sensing/tissue engineering.
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On-Going Research The research at CBSS can be broadly divided into five areas:• Membrane biophysics and biomimetic sensing (PIs Cho, Nallani, Knoll)• Plasmonic and carbon based nanomaterials for sensing and spectroscopy (PIs Chen, Zhang)• Compartmentalization and reactions in confined space (PIs Nallani, Liedberg)• Polypeptide-based nanomaterials for biosensing and biomembrane mimicking (PI Liedberg)• Biomimetic materials for applications in biofouling and bioadhesion (PIs Miserez, Liedberg)
Membrane Biophysics And SensingThe research within this area can be divided into two sub-projects. The first one focuses on fundamental studies on structural and functional characteristics of membrane proteins in lipid or polymeric bilayer architectures using advanced optical, gravimetric, spectroscopic and electrochemical tools. The second sub-project concerns the application of such proteins or membrane systems for the development of highly sensitive and selective sensors and devices. Target areas are, for example, infectious diseases and olfaction.
Figure 1. (Left) CBSS students, post docs and staff. (Right) NRF Fellows - Asst Prof Ali Miserez and Assoc Prof Nam Joon Cho
Plasmonic And Carbon-Based Nanomaterials For Sensing And SpectroscopyNobel metal nanostructures offers a convenient route to manipulate the electromagnetic fields at the nanoscale because of their ability to support surface plasmons. We are utilizing this unique feature in combination with advanced nanofabrication strategies to create hierarchical silica-gold core satellite structures for spectroscopy (SERS) and colorimetry. In one of the centre projects Chen et al. have been using colloidal gold and a di-sulphur containing peptide for label-free detection of mercury in wastewater. 1 Graphene and
carbon nanotubes materials are furthermore employed for the development of novel devices for detection of toxins, DNA from staphylococcus aureus, 2 herbicides 3 to mention a few. Zhang et al. 4 described recently a new approach relying on the excellent fluorescence quenching properties of graphene oxide and the optical enhancement of plasmonic gold nanoparticles for the design of a new Raman substrate with ultrahigh signal-to-backround level. This combined approach enabled acquisition of high quality Raman spectra of highly fluorescent dyes like Alexa 488.
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Figure 2. Graphene oxide/Au0.7
Ag0.3
alloy on silica substrate with ultrahigh - Signal-to-Background Ratio - for Raman spectroscopy characterization of highly fluorescent molecules and dyes
Compartmentalization and Reactions in Confined SpaceThe construction of (semi-) synthetic capsules is a useful tool to dissect the physical principles underlying the function of biological cells. The use of polymers to form self-assembled bilayer vesicles (i.e. polymersomes) ensures high stability and excellent control over the vesicle structure. As such we have been using polymersomes to study enzymatic reactions inside these containers and we have used them as building blocks to construct multi-compartment containers. An important issue in for the construction of higher-order architectures and incorporation into biosensors is the derivatization of the polymersome membrane with sensing molecules, such as receptors and enzymes.
We recently reported a facile method 5 to attach enzyme molecules to the polymersome membrane. For this we attached a small molecule to the enzyme, which upon irradiation with UV-light reacted selectively with a carbon double bond that was located on the polymersome membrane, Figure 3. Apart from being very fast the reaction is particularly interesting because the product is fluorescent. This allowed us to estimate the extent of the conjugation by fluorescence alone, where normally more complex physical methods are needed. The reaction is therefore very useful for conjugation reactions where biomolecules are involved.
Figure 3. Artistic representation of the attachment of enzyme molecules to poly-mersomes. The reaction is induced by UV-light and highly selective, thus allowing its use in biological contexts. (Front cover of Ref. 5, de Hoog et al.)
Polypeptide-based Nanomaterials for Biosensing and Biomembrane MimickingThe unique properties of de novo designed synthetic peptides, so-called helix-loop-helix peptides, are used to develop new soft matter platforms for biomolecular/biomimetic sensing. They are also employed as scaffolds in the design of high affinity recognition molecules, so-called binders, for a range of targets “biomarkers” including enzymes and toxins, and as vehicles for controlled aggregation of gold nanoparticles (NPs), 6 Figure 4.
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Figure 4. Peptide-controlled NP-aggregation
Biomimetic Materials for Applications in Biofouling and Bioadhesion In this project, we are focusing on studying biological materials that feature unique properties – or combination of – currently not achieved in man-made materials and that are multifunctional.
The long-term vision is to use synthetic strategies that mimic key structural, biochemical and physio-chemical principles discovered in our model systems. A wide range of physical and life sciences techniques from biochemistry (protein isolation and sequencing, recombinant protein expression),
CBSS PUBLICATIONS
Du, J.; Sun, Y.; Jiang, L.; Cao, X.; Qi, D.; Yin, S.; Ma, J.; Boey, F. Y. C. ; Chen, X.; Flexible Colorimetric Detection of Mercuric Ion by Simply Mixing Nanoparticles and Oligopeptides, Small, 7, 1407-1411 (2011).
Wang, Z.,; Zhang, J. ; Chen, P.; Zhou, X.; Yang, Y.; Wu, S.; Niu, L.; Han, Y.; Wang, L.; Chen, P.; Boey, F.; Zhang, Q.; Liedberg, B.; Zhang, H.; Label-free, electrochemical detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus DNA with reduced graphene oxide-modified electrodes, Biosens.& Bioelectr. 26, 3881-3886 (2011).
Chen, P.; Yin, Z.;Huang, X.; Wu, S.; Liedberg, B.; Zhang, H.; Assembly of Graphene Oxide and Au0.7 Ag
0.3 Alloy
Nanoparticles on SiO2: A New Raman Substrate with Ultrahigh Signal-to-Background Ratio, J. Phys. Chem. C., 115,
24080–24084 (2011).
Palaniappan, Al; Goh, W. H.; Yildiz, U. H.; Swarnalatha, Priyanka, B. S.; Suri, C. R. Mhaisalkhar, S.G.; Liedberg B.; Detection of Low Molecular Weight Compounds using Carbon Nanotube Grafted Resonators, Sensors & Actuators: B. Chemical, 161, 689-696 (2012).
de Hoog, H.-P. M.; Nallani, M.; Liedberg, B.; A facile and fast method for the functionalization of polymerosomes by photoinduced cycloaddition chemistry, Polym. Chem. 3, 302-306 (2012). Front Cover.
Aili, D.; Gryko, P.; Sepulveda, B.; Dick, J.A.G.; Kirby, N.; Heenan, R.; Baltzer, L.; Liedberg, B.; Ryan, M.P.; Stevens; M.; Polypeptide Folding-Induced Tuning of the Optical and Structural Properties of Gold Nanoparticle Assemblies, Nano Letters, 11 (12), 5564–5573 (2011).
biophysics (spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, single-molecule force spectroscopy), materials science (micro-nano structure, mechanical properties at various length scales, and structure/properties relationships) are combined for materials development and characterization.
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Ocular Therapeutic Engineering Centre (OTEC)
OTEC was founded in year 2011 by A/Prof Tina Wong from Singapore Eye Research Institute and Prof. Subbu Venkatraman. The mission of OTEC is to provide safer, more efficacious and patient-friendly therapeutic options through scientific breakthroughs, cutting edge and innovative technology in materials science and engineering.
OTEC is where material scientists and engineers meet clinical researchers to come up with novel solutions to address an unmet clinical or surgical need in ophthalmology with the ultimate goal to enhance existing patient care and improve on our current clinical management outcomes.
Current research activities focus on the development of sustained-release drug delivery systems, the use of sophisticated
materials to design and engineer improved surgical devices, and the development of faster, more accurate imaging devices for screening and diagnostic purposes in ophthalmology.
Currently, OTEC has 10 research scientists and 2 PhD students as well as several attachment students form NTU.
Total research funding for research activities in OTEC is now at $ 4.5M.
On-Going Projects In the Centres / Research Programmes
Project 1Sustained Drug Delivery for the Eye
Assoc. Prof Tina Wong (SERI/SNEC) Prof Subbu Venkatraman (MSE, NTU)Assoc. Prof Bjorn Neu (SCBE, NTU)
This very extensive and main project in OTEC brings biodegradable materials and nanocarriers for the delivery of commonly used ophthalmic drugs into the clinic with the aim of providing a therapeutically desirable prolonged drug release. Drugs currently being investigated include anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic drugs, eye pressure lowering drugs (anti-glaucoma), anti-virals, antibiotics and anti-fibrotics. Sustained and targeted delivery of nucleic acids and small proteins into the eye are also a major research focus of the Centre.
Some of these products have already having completed a randomized clinical trial at the Singapore National Eye Centre/Singapore Eye Research Institute or at the stage of Phase IB/2 with significant interest from industry.
Internal collaboratorsSchool of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (SCBE)
External collaboratorsSingapore National Eye Centre (SNEC)Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) NUHS
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Picture of the group members
Project 2Biodegradable Glaucoma Drainage Device
Prof Subbu Venkatraman (MSE, NTU)Adj. Assoc. Prof Tina Wong (SERI/SNEC)
In this project, we aim to develop the world’s first biodegradable hybrid glaucoma drainage device that will provide superior control of aqueous outflow from a novel patented technology. A first generation prototype of such a glaucoma drainage device is being assembled and currently being evaluated in animals.
Project 3Development and Evaluation of a Novel, Dual Mode, Wide-field, Ocular Digital Imaging Technology for Evaluation of Angle Closure
Dr Baskaran Mani (SERI/SNEC)Assoc. Prof Murukeshan Vadakke Matham (MAE, NTU)
We propose to develop and evaluate a novel, dual mode (infrared and visible light) wide-field digital imaging technology for ocular, especially angle imaging for better screening and diagnosis of angle closure glaucoma in the clinic.
Project 4Bessel Beam Imaging of the Iridocorneal Angle with Overlay of Fluorescence Emission Distribution
Assoc. Prof Murukeshan Vadakke Matham (MAE, NTU)Prof Aung Tin (SERI/SNEC)
A state-of-the-art anterior segment diagnostic device will be developed using self-constructing Bessel beam imaging coupled with fluorescence imaging, that can image the trabecular meshwork and anterior segment directly and provide 3-dimensional images with better resolution (<10 µm) than currently available.
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A Narayanaswamy, K Lee, M Zhen, J Chua, SM Chai, PY Boey, C Zheng, T Aung, S Venkatraman, TT Wong. Randomised, controlled trial of a sustained delivery formulation of 5-fluorouracil for the treatment of failing blebs. Ophthalmology, 2012, Feb In press.
Ang, M., et al. (2011), Evaluation of Sustained Release of PLC-Loaded Prednisolone Acetate Microfilm on Postoperative Inflammation in an Experimental Model of Glaucoma Filtration Surgery. Current Eye Research, 36, 1123-1128.
Natarajan JV, Ang M, Darwitan A, Wong TT and Venkatraman SS. (2011) Nanomedicine for Glaucoma: Liposomes provide sustained delivery of latanoprost in the eye. International Journal of Nanomedicine. In press.
Natarajan JV, Chattopadhyay S, Ang M, Darwitan A, Foo S, et al.(2011) Sustained Release of an Anti-Glaucoma Drug: Demonstration of Efficacy of a Liposomal Formulation in the Rabbit Eye. PLoS ONE 6(9): e24513.
Peng Y, Ang M, Foo S, Lee WS, Ma Z, SS Venkatraman and TT Wong (2011) Biocompatibility and Biodegradation Studies of Subconjunctival Implants in Rabbit Eyes. PLoS ONE 6(7): e22507.
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NTU-Technion Biomedical Labs – Development of a Functional Tissue Engineered Cardiac Patch
The NTU-Technion Biomedical labs accommodate the first out of three thrusts under the NRF-funded joint project between the NTU, NUS and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, entitled: “The Regenerative Medicine Initiative in Cardiac Restoration Therapy”. Our group research focuses on tissue engineering of a functional cardiac patch, for replacing damaged cardiac tissue, following trauma, disease or myocardial infarction (heart attack). Several directions
are being perused, yet all share a common biomedical goal, to effectively harness the three basic components of tissue engineering: cells, scaffolds and environment. The principal direction involves characterizing the biological, biochemical and physical/mechanical properties of porcine-derived cardiac extracellular matrix scaffolds in native, decellularized and reseeded thick states. The recellularizations of these scaffolds are studied in both static and
Internal and External Collaborators
Thrust 2 – The Regenerative Medicine Initiative in Cardiac Restoration Therapy. (NUHS/NUS, Singapore).
Thrust 3 – The Regenerative Medicine Initiative in Cardiac Restoration Therapy. (NUS, Singapore).
The Lab for Mammalian Cell Technologies, Tissue Engineering and Drug-Delivery. Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology).
Prof. Eyal Zussman. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology).
dynamic culturing conditions. A second line of research, applies the cellular aspects of the main direction with synthetic scaffolds containing vascular-like micro-tubes and enabling conjugation of drug-eluting moieties. Finally, the two research lines will converge to create a functional cardiac patch made of or supported by natural and synthetic materials and repopulated with regenerative cells cultured under dynamic physiological-like conditions.
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Prof. Freddy Boey Yin Chiang Prof. Marcelle Machluf Prof. Subbu S Venkatraman
On-Going Projects• Characterization, optimization and functionality of porcine cardiac decellularized ECM repopulated in the bulk with regenerative cells (MSC, FB, SMC, EC etc.).
• Re-endothelialisation and neo-vascularisation of the inherent vasculature of porcine cardiac decellularized ECM repopulated with endothelial and other regenerative cells.
• Mechanical characterization and modification of the ECM of porcine cardiac decellularized ECM.
• The effect of recellularization on the mechanical properties of natural and synthetic scaffolds for tissue engineering.
• The biological effects of mechanical and electrical stimuli on cultured scaffolds.
• Characterization, optimization and functionality of synthetic scaffolds made of electrospun PCL fibres repopulated with regenerative cells.
• Creating and incorporating synthetic conduits in cardiac patched for in-situ or in-vivo tissue support using electrospun and dip coated hollow fibres seeded within or on the surface with regenerative cells.
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Engineering of artificial photocatalyst for water splitting and CO
2 reduction applications.
AREAS OF RESEARCH
Project 1Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting ApplicationIn this project, novel electrocatalysts are developed for water reduction and water oxidation reactions based on abundant elements such as: Ni, Fe, Co, Mo, W, S, O etc. For water reduction electrocatalysts, our current work focuses on metal sulfides, ternary sulfides etc which are solid state material and have comparable structure
Solar Fuels Laboratory
MSE• Assoc. Prof Loo Say Chye Joachim • Asst Prof Lydia Helena Wong• Asst Prof Xue Can• Asst Prof Huo Fengwei
Collaborators• Prof James Barber (Imperial College London, UK)• Assoc. Prof Yang Yanhui (SCBE, NTU)• Asst Prof Sum Tze Chien (PAP, SPMS, NTU)• Asst Prof Sun Handong (PAP, SPMS, NTU) • Asst Prof Xiong Qihua (SPMS, NTU)• Dr Vincent Artero (CEA-Grenoble, France)• Prof Joseph T. Hupp (Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University)• Prof Michael Graetzel (EPFL, Switzerland)
to those found in the catalytic active sites of hydrogenases, nitrogenases. In parallel, different metal oxides are being developed as electrocatalysts for water oxidation reactions (NiOx
, MnOx,
CoOx etc). We are interested
both in synthesis of novel oxide electrocatalysts and encapsulation of these electrocatalysts within mesoporous support to enhance their catalytic activities.
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Project 4 Metal-semiconductor Heterogeneous Nanostrustrures for Photocatalytic Water SplittingIn this project, hetero-nanostructures of metal (Au, Ag, Pt, Pd) nanoparticles and various metal oxide semiconductor nanocrystals are synthesized. The
Project 2Photocatalysts for Water Splitting ApplicationThis project aims to engineer artificial photocatalysts for water splitting application. To do so, electrocatalysts developed in the aforementioned project or from collaborators are immobilized onto semiconductor surface (Cu2
O, CIS, Si, CN
x, etc) which have appropriate
band gap structure for driving water reduction, water oxidation or overall water splitting process.
Left: Schematic of hierarchical CuInSe2/SnO
2 nanostructures.
Right: FE-SEM images of CIS/SnO2 in different growth zones from anode to cathode: (a)
region 1 (Inset: illustration of deposition setup); (b) region 3; (c) region 5; (d) region 6;(e) EDX of region 1 and (f) EDX of region 5 respectively.
Project 3 Hematite Photoanodes for Water OxidationIn recent years, α-Fe2
O3 (hematite)
has received great attention due to its favorable optical band gap (E
g=2.2
eV), excellent chemical stability, natural abundance and low cost. However, the reported efficiencies of α-Fe2
O3 are notoriously lower than
its predicted value, mainly due to the short photo-generated charge carriers (<10 ps) lifetime and short hole diffusion length (2-4 nm).
charge transfer between the metal and semiconductor significantly enhances the efficiency of photocatalytic hydrogen and/or oxygen generation through solar water splitting.
Project 5 Solar Light Harvesting through Surface Plasmon Resonance of Metallic NanostructuresThe surface plasma resonance (SPR) of metal nanostructures induces strong absorption of visible light in the solar spectra. The project focuses on the engineering of various metallic nanostructures in order to harvest the photon energy through SPR and efficiently transfer the energy to third-party energy conversion devices such as photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical cells.
In this project, two strategies are employed: extremely thin absorber (ETA) and nanowires arrays on substrates using hydrothermal method to solve these issues. By combining ETA and surface treatment, we found that after 3 cycles of ZnAc treatment, the photocurrent of hematite photoanode increased by more than 40% and the onset potential shifted by -170 mV. By using hydrothermal and in situ growth of Co3
O4 catalysts, a photocurrent of
approximately 1.2 mA cm-2 at 0.23 V vs Ag/AgCl can be attained, which is 33% higher than that of pure hematite. The enhanced photocurrent can be attributed to the surfaced decorated with Co3
O4 nanocrystals.
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Top: Schematic illustration of the detailed energy alignment in the Au-BiVO4 heterogeneous
structure and the proposed mechanism of photocatalytic water oxidation by Au-BiVO4
nanosheets. Bottom: the oxygen evolution vs visible light irradiation time plot.
Project 6 Photocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Hydrocarbons Using MOFs/Nanoparticle Hybrid Materials CO2
is a stable molecule, and energy is required to convert it into renewable fuel. Hence CO
2
conversion makes sense only if the input energy is from a renewable source, such as sunlight. Recently, nanomaterials have shown great
potential applications in CO2
reduction under solar radiation. We are focusing on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-nanoparticle (MOFs/NPs) hybrid materials, a new class of materials, for the study of photocatalytic reduction of CO2
. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of microporous crystalline materials, have great potential applications in gas storage, separation, catalysis, and
sensing due to their large internal surface areas, and chemical tailoribility. MOFs can absorb CO2
in their frame matrix with a high concentration which will benefit the chemical reduction process of CO2
. In the other hand, the chemical property of the MOFs pore could be sophistically tailored to provide a chemical friendly environment enhancing the nanoparticle catalysis.
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Well-established chemical synthesis strategies are available to produce nanoparticulate functional materials with controllable size, shape, composition, and thus tunable optical, electrical, magnetic, and catalytic properties. Dispersion of the as-synthesized NPs into MOFs is highly desired for
Group Photo
many practical applications on the account of the ease of handling and enhanced thermal stability. Recently, new strategies are developed which can encapsulate a range of NPs (ranging from metal, semiconductor, inorganic oxide, to polymer) with different sizes (from several nanometers to one hundred nanometers) and shapes (including
sphere, cube, and rod) into MOFs. Reduction of CO2
is a very complex process, which requires different types of nanoparicles such as Pt (for catalysis of hydrogenation), or TiO2
(for absorbing energy) etc. The ability of encapsulations of multi kinds of nanoparticles of our approach could allow us get a the higher conversion efficiency of CO2
materials.
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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
SW Cao, Z Yin, J Barber, FYC, Boey, SCJ Loo, C Xue. Preparation of Au-BiVO4 Heterogeneous Nanostructures as Highly Efficient Visible-light Photocatalysts. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2012, 4, 418.
G Lu, SZ Li, Z Guo, BG Hauser, OK Farha, XY Qi, Y Wang, X Wang, XG Liu, H Zhang, QC Zhang, XD Chen, J Ma, SCJ Loo,YH Yang, JT Hupp, FW Huo. Functionalization of Metal-Organic Framework by Controlled Encapsulation of Nanoparticles. Nature Chemistry. 2012, 4, 310-316.
MM Shahjamali, M Bosman, SW Cao, X Huang, S Saadat, E Martinsson, D Aili, YY Tay, B Liedberg, SCJ Loo, H Zhang, F Boey, C Xue. Gold Coating of Silver Nanoprisms. Advanced Functional Materials. 2012, 22, 849.
PD Tran, LH Wong, J Barber, JSC Loo. Recent Advances in Hybrid Photocatalysts for Solar Fuel Production. Energy & Environmental Science. 2012, 5, 5902 - 5918.
J. Y. Lek, L. F. Xi, B. E. Kardynal, L. H. Wong, Y. M. Lam, Understanding the Effect of Surface Chemistry on Charge Generation and Transport in P3HT/CdSe Hybrid Solar Cell, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2011, 3, 287-292.
T. Salim, L. H. Wong, B. Bauer, Y. L. Foo, Z. Bao, Y. M. Lam, Solvent Additives and Their Effects on the Morphology of Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2011, 21, 242.
S. Sun, T. Salim, L. H. Wong, Y.L. Foo, F. Y. C. Boey, Y. M. Lam, Controlling the Growth of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Nanofiber Formation through Mixed-Solvent Approach and Their Effects for Organic Photovoltaics Applications, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2011, 21(2): 377-386.
J. Sun, C. Sun, S.K. Batabyal, P.D. Tran, S.S. Pramana, L.H. Wong and S.G. Mhaisalkar, Morphology and stoichiometry control of hierarchical CuInSe2
/SnO2 nanostructures by directed electrochemical assembly for solar energy
harvesting, Electrochemistry Communications, 2011 (in press).
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Membrane Protein Engineering Laboratory
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are integral membrane proteins with seven-transmembrane helices found in cellular organisms such as protists, fungi, plants, animals, and in non-cellular organisms such as Herpesviridae family viruses.
Although several receptor classes exist in humans, GPCRs are the most abundant and therapeutically relevant in humans. GPCRs respond
to extracellular stimuli such as light, neurotransmitters, odorants, biogenic amines, lipids, proteins, amino acids, hormones, nucleotides and chemokines.
GPCRs are associated with biological membranes of cells and organelles in all human organ systems and represent one of the most potent classes of drug targets. Their importance is underscored by the fact that about 45-50% of all
current pharmaceutical drugs in the market target GPCRs and likely in the similar percentage for all future drugs.
Our current research program, using synthetic biology means, is to focus on understanding structural and function among human GPCRs and the effect of specific amino acid designs and variations on its structural integrity, ligand binding and cellular signal transductions.
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Our laboratory uses a combination of homology and ab initio protein structure prediction, microsecond molecular dynamics simulations, optimized gene synthesis, circular dichroism, microscale thermophoresis and X-ray crystallography to understand receptor binding properties of novel detergent-free GPCR variants not only to develop novel decoy therapy to combat EBV viral infections, but also to accelerate drug discovery.
Our laboratory has made remarkable progress in a year since the laboratory was operational in August 2012. We plan to file a provisional patent application in August 2013 and eventually form a start-up biotech company to explore the technology.
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THEMATICRESEARCH PROGRAMMES
THEMATIC RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
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THEMATICRESEARCH PROGRAMMES
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The Regenerative Medicine Initiative in Cardiac Restoration Therapy Research Programme
NRF-Technion “Regenerative Medicine Initiative in Cardiac Restoration Therapy” Programme led by Prof. Freddy Boey, Prof. Subbu Venkatraman and Technion partners has been launched in Sep 2009. This programme is aimed at addressing the clinical need for cardiac restoration therapy using a tissue engineering-based approach. Cardiac tissue engineering is a treatment strategy which aims to improve the function of damaged myocardium by promoting the
formation of a new contractile cardiac tissue. In the United States alone, nearly 2400 Americans die of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) each day, an average of one death every 37 seconds. CVD is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in the western world. It is estimated that by 2030, almost 23.6 million people will die annually from CVD worldwide (Source: World Health Organization). The largest increase in the number of deaths
will occur in the South-East Asia Region. In Singapore, nearly 15 people die each day from CVD. The Singapore MOH Burden of Disease Study (2008) cited that CVD accounted for 32.4% of all deaths in Singapore (Source: Singapore MOH). Although there have been significant improvements in cardiac medicine, the optimal solution for the failing heart remains heart transplantation. The purpose of cardiac restoration therapy is straightforward – to
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replace the fibrotic scar tissue with a functional myocardial tissue. A systematic yet practical approach is required to overcome the clinical, scientific, and technological hurdles that impede cardiac restoration. In order to provide clinical solutions in a timely fashion, our program advances cardiac restoration therapies along three complementary tracks, three main thrusts between local universities and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have been established as following:
Thrust 1: Tissue Engineering of a Functional Cardiac Patch (NTU);
Thrust 2: Cell Therapy Using Injectable, Resorbable, Biocompatible Materials (NUHS);
Thrust 3: Mechanical Augmentation of the Infarcted Heart Muscle using Acellular Biomaterials (NUS).
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Figure 1. Engineering of composite cardiac construct from nature porcine ECM: Attachment of MSCs (A, B) and Histological ECM seeded with MSC and dynamically cultured under perfusion for 24 hrs (C)
using flow-cytometry analysis of typical MSC markers. MSCs were shown to attach and survive, following dynamic culturing, using a perfusion bioreactor (Fig. 1 unpublished data). Meanwhile, all three Thrusts are expected to enter into preclinical testing in
the near future. Pre-clinical testing of optimized designs is likely to culminate in small animal (rodent) models of myocardial infarction. The heightened commercialization efforts and technological transfer activities are expected to draw the interests of industrial partners.
All three thrusts have now ramped up their research activities at both NTU (School of Material Science and Engineering) and NUS. NTU-Technion Biomedical Lab has been fully functionalized for Thrust 1 research under Prof. Marcelle Machluf. Furthermore, two seed projects attached to Thrust 1 (NTU) was initiated in Nov 2010: 1) Nanostructured hydrogels for Cardiac Tissue Engineering 2) Biomaterial regulation of endothelial cell-mediated thrombogenicity. Internal collaboration within NTU will be explored to School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering for our next seed projects. External collaborations in Technion have been explored to Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Department of Chemical Engineering.
We represent a significant milestone towards repopulating the bulk of the extracellular matrix (ECM) towards creating a functional tissue replacement. The stem lineage integrity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), grown on the ECM, was validated
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Pictures of Our Principal Investigators
Picture of group members at NTU-Technion Biomedical Lab
Prof. Freddy Boey Yin Chiang Prof. Marcelle Machluf Prof. Subbu S Venkatraman
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Biodegradable Cardiovascular Implants
This programme was started in 2008 and will finish in September 2013. The Principal Investigator is Professor Freddy Boey, and the co-PI is Professor Subbu Venkatraman. There are 8 sub-projects within this programme. These are listed below, with the project PI names:
Enabling Projects• Biodegradable Elastomers (Marc Abadie, Subbu Venkatraman)• Cell-biomaterials Interactions I (Peter Preiser)• Cell-biomaterials Interactions II (Bjorn Neu, Subbu Venkatraman)• Surface Functionalization for Cell Growth (Zhang Hua, Subbu Venkatraman)
Translational Projects• Biodegradable drug/peptide/gene eluting stents (Freddy Boey)• Cardio Tissue Engineering (Tan Lay Poh, Philip Wong)• PFO Occluder (Teo Swee Hin, Ng Kee Woei)• Novel Systems: Drug Eluting Balloons (Joachim Loo, Subbu Venkatraman)
MSE • Prof Freddy Boey• Prof Subbu Venkatraman
Collaborators Current overseas collaborators: • 3 (Rutgers, UCLA, Mayo Clinic)
Current local collaborations: • 3 (National Heart Centre, Heart Institute (NUH), ENT Surgeon (NUH))
Industrial Collaborators: Insightra Medical Multi-disciplinary programme, with faculty from Biological Sciences, SCBE and MSE.
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On-going projects in the centres / research programmes
Manpower Training• A total of 18 researchers (not counting post-graduate students) are being trained in various aspects of
biomedical research, including an appreciation for commercializable research.• 14 PhD students (4 graduated in in 2011) trained under the programme.
Patents 9 patents filed
Publications • 50 publications to date; average IF ~ 3.5; 1 invited review already accepted.• 11 presentations at International conferences, one by invitation.
Commercialization• 2 spin-off companies• 6 animal trials completed
(Missing: Prof Freddy Boey, Prof Joachim Loo, Prof Teo Swee Hin)
Picture of the group members
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H. Li, Y. Xia, J. Wu, Q. Y. He, X. Z. Zhou, G. Lu, L. Shang, F. Boey, S. S. Venkatraman, H. Zhang*: “Surface Modification of Smooth Poly(L-lactic acid) Films for Gelatin Immobilization”, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, DOI: 10.1021/am201795g (2012).
X. Y. Qi, X. Huang, H. Li, Y. S. Wang, Y. Xia, M. Natarajan, J. Wei, S. S. Venkatraman, H. Zhang*: “Vault Protein-Templated Assembles of Nanoparticles”, NANO, accepted (2012).
Chor Yong Tay, Scott Alexander Irvine, Freddy Boey, Lay Poh Tan* and Subbu Venkatraman*, Micro-nanoengineered Cellular Responses, Small, in press.
Chor Yong Tay, Mintu Pal, Haiyang Yu, Wen Shing Leong, Nguan Soon Tan, Kee Woei Ng, Subbu Venkatraman, Freddy Boey, David Tai Leong and, Lay Poh Tan, Bio-inspired micropatterned platform to steer stem cell differentiation, Small, in press.
Kong, J.F., Lipik, V., Abadie, M.J., Deen, G.R., Venkatraman, S.S. Biodegradable elastomers based on ABA triblocks: Influence of end-block crystallinity on elastomeric character , Polymer International 61 (1) , pp. 43-50 (2011).
Liu, K.L., Widjaja, E., Huang, Y., Ng, X.W., Loo, S.C.J., Boey, F.Y.C., Venkatraman, S.S., A new insight for an old system: Protein-PEG colocalization in relation to protein release from PCL/PEG blends, Molecular Pharmaceutics 8 (6) , pp. 2173-2182 (2011).
Ng, A.H.C., Ng, N.S.P., Zhu, G.H., Lim, L.H.Y., Venkatraman, S.S. A fully degradable tracheal stent: In vitro and in vivo characterization of material degradation, Journal of Biomedical Materials Research - Part B Applied Biomaterials, in press, 2011.
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Nanonets:New Materials, Devices for Integrated Energy Harnessing & Storage
The research work performed under the theme of “Nanonets: New materials, devices for integrated energy harnessing & storage” explores the application of a new form factor to the urgent challenges of renewable energy harvesting and storage. The “Nanonet” comprises a network of electrically interconnected nanowires/nanotubes that combine the advantages of flexibility, transparency and fault-tolerance with excellent electrical properties. The rapid progress in inorganic
material synthesis techniques enables the fabrication of such networks from a large library of available materials through cheap, scalable manufacturing processes. The program seeks to explore various fabrication techniques for nanonet formation, the study of their fundamental properties as well as their application in photovoltaic, battery and supercapacitor devices.
The program focuses on developing nanonetworks of semiconducting oxides and hybrid materials to fabricate integrated solar cells and charge storage devices. Rather than only focus on the oft studied ZnO and TiO2
as used in dye sensitized solar cells, this program seeks to explore the little studied, but promising properties of Fe, Cu, and Sn oxides and sulphides. Thus far most studies on Fe, Cu, and Sn have focused on their thin film forms and although sulphides of
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absorption in the visible spectrum, problems with recombination and effective charge collection have hampered progress. The nanonet device designs proposed in this program will enable exploitation of their superior absorption and tunable transport properties in high efficiency solar cells. Furthermore, the same materials would also be effectively employed in charge storage devices. In addition to the exciting device possibilities, this research will be driven by the fundamental properties of nanonetworks that remain to be explored: photogeneration and separation of charges in 2D & 3D multijunction nanonets, charge transfer (& transport) between different nanoscale species, and electrochemical reactions at interfaces in interpenetrating networks and heterophases.
Materials, Synthesis, & Fundamental StudiesMethylammonium lead iodide CH
3NH
3PbI
3 which has perovskite
structure is a new type of material for photovoltaic cells. Its high extinction coefficient and broad absorption are promising property to collect photons in whole visible light. Although the material is unstable with commonly used electrolyte for dye-sensitized type of solar cells, its stability is not a problem when this material is introduced in solid-states device. Active researches such as substitute of iodide to other halides, replacement of lead, introducing different mesoscopic materials as well as structures and so on. These
modifications affect to the device efficiency and characteristics. Optical and physical characterizations are ongoing with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, photoluminescence measurements and so on.
The material sets can be successfully fabricated through controlled oxidation/physical vapour deposition include SnO2
, ZnSnO
3, ZnO, Nb
2O
5, VO
2, V
2O
5,
CuO, MgO, GeO2 and Co
3O
4. In
situ doping of many of these nanowires during growth has been established. Sulphide and selenide nanowires such as CdS, ZnS and CdSe have also been grown through a thermal growth procedure. Solution processed procedures have yielded high surface area aligned aligned nanowires/nanotube structures of Fe2
O3, ZnO,
ZnFe2O
4, Cu
2O, TiO
2, SnO
2, and Zn
doped SnO2. Chemical methods for
the formation and deposition of small bandgap semiconducting thin films and particles such as chemical bath deposition, hot injection and electrodeposition have also
been pursued. The material sets which have been deposited include sulphides such as Sb2
S3, Cu
2S, Cu
2O,
PbS, CuInSe, Cu2ZnSnS
4, In
2S
3 and
FeS2. Studies of buffer layers for
solar cell have also been developed including In(OH)
xS
y buffer layers
and ALD deposited TiO2 thin films
and their photoelectrochemical characteristics are being studied.
Enabling Energy Harnessing & Storage DevicesThe effects of photoanode thickness, electrolyte composition and photocathode preparation on the photovoltaic efficiencies have been examined resulting in the achievement of efficiencies above 10%. Mesoscopic charge propagation in dye-sensitized solar cells has been investigated with various dynamic and steady state techniques, where much better understanding of charge collection and separation has been achieved. Solid state solar cells involving the utilisation of absorbing Sb2
S3 thin
films have indicated that nanofibers based solar cells are of higher efficiencies than nanoparticle
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based ones. Solar cells comprising grid electrodes, which avoid the use of transparent conducting oxides as electrodes have also been studied and have shown performances comparable to that formed from standard processes.
Battery electrode materials such as LiTi
2(PO
4)3 (LTP) nanomaterials
were synthesized by the Pechini-type polymerizable complex decomposition method. Elec-trochemical Li-cycling studies on LTP showed that 1.75 and 1.64 moles of Li can be reversibly cycled at 0.11 C and 0.8 C rates, respectively. The hybrid electro-chemical supercapacitor (HEC) comprising activated carbon (AC) as cathode (positive) and carbon-coated LiTi
2(PO
4)3 as an-
ode (negative) in the non-aque-ous electrolyte exhibited good cycling profiles and high energy, power densities. Increased specific capacitance (250F/g) and energy densities (5-30Wh/kg) were measured in symmetric supercapacitor configuration using novel electrospun V
2O
5
fibers. Hybrid electrochemical supercapacitor is constructed using TiP
2O
7 nanoparticles as
anode and activated carbon (AC) as cathode in conventional 1 M LiPF
6 in ethylene carbonate:
dimethylcarbonate (1:1 vol.) elec-trolyte solution. Galvanostatic cycling studies revealed AC/TiP
2O
7 hybrid supercapacitor
showed superior cycling profile and delivered the maximum energy and power densities of 49 Whkg–1 and 372 Wkg–1, re-spectively, at room temperature conditions.
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Kim, H. S.; Lee, J. W.; Yantara, N.; Boix, P. P.; Kulkarni, S. A.; Mhaisalkar, S.; Gratzel, M.; Park, N. G. Nano Letters 2013, 13, 2412.
Wang, X.; Kulkarni, S. A.; Ito, B. I.; Batabyal, S. K.; Nonomura, K.; Wong, C. C.; Gratzel, M.; Mhaisalkar, S. G.; Uchida, S. Acs Appl Mater Inter 2013, 5, 444.
Sabba, D.; Mathews, N.; Chua, J.; Pramana, S. S.; Mulmudi, H. K.; Wang, Q.; Mhaisalkar, S. G. Scripta Mater 2013, 68, 487.
Li, H. R.; Koh, T. M.; Hagfeldt, A.; Gratzel, M.; Mhaisalkar, S. G.; Grimsdale, A. C. Chemical Communications 2013, 49, 2409.
Li, F.; Jennings, J. R.; Wang, Q.; Chua, J.; Mathews, N.; Mhaisalkar, S. G.; Moon, S. J.; Zakeeruddin, S. M.; Gratzel, M. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2013, 117, 10980.
Baikie, T.; Fang, Y. N.; Kadro, J. M.; Schreyer, M.; Wei, F. X.; Mhaisalkar, S. G.; Graetzel, M.; White, T. J. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2013, 1, 5628.
Yantara, N.; Mathews, N.; Jinesh, K. B.; Mulmudi, H. K.; Mhaisalkar, S. G. Electrochimica Acta 2012, 85, 486.
Nguyen, L. H.; Mulmudi, H. K.; Sabba, D.; Kulkarni, S. A.; Batabyal, S. K.; Nonomura, K.; Gratzel, M.; Mhaisalkar, S. G. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2012, 14, 16182.
Gui, E. L.; Kang, A. M.; Pramana, S. S.; Yantara, N.; Mathews, N.; Mhaisalkar, S. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2012, 159, B247.
Fu, K.; Sun, C.; Mathews, N.; Mhaisalkar, S. G. Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Letters 2012, 4, 733.
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Towards Efficient Sunlight Harvesting
A tiny fraction of sunlight that strikes the surface of the Earth can easily address the energy demands of the modern world. The technology to capture and efficiently convert it into other usable energy forms, though, faces immense challenges. Yet nature seems to achieve just that with an extreme finesse. Plants and
Principal Investors• Assoc Prof Zhao Yang - Lead PI (MSE, NTU)• Assoc. Prof Wang Junling• Assoc. Prof Andrew Grimsdale• Asst Prof Xue Can (MSE, NTU)• Asst Prof Howe-Siang Tan• Asst Prof Tze Chien Sum• Asst Prof Handong Sun (SPMS, NTU)
External Collaborators • MIT• University of California, Berkeley• Imperial College, London• TUM, Germany• University of Southern California• Ohio State University• Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research• Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden• Institute of Physics, Beijing.
even as primitive organisms as purple bacteria are well known to capture solar energy with various pigments in their photosynthetic apparatus and transmit it nearly instantaneously to the core reaction centers where it gets converted to chemical energy at an astonishingly high efficiency. This program aims to unravel the
tricks of nature involved in energy transfer processes and design artificial molecular or nanoscale systems capable of harvesting sunlight with high efficiency and stability. The knowledge gained on artificial photosynthesis would prove invaluable across the clean energy sector industries.
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On-going projects in the centres/ research programmes
Light Harvesting in Nature and Quantum CoherenceThis project pursues the study of mechanisms and pathways of energy transfer and quantum phase coherence in light harvesting complexes. We have uncovered interesting optimality conditions for efficient energy transfer between LH2/LH1 rings using Haken-Strobl model and simulated polaron dynamics
Organic and Hybrid Light-Harvesting SystemsThis project focuses on fabrication of artificial organic and hybrid devices mimicking the photosynthesis process. We have successfully fabricated P3HT-PCBM based devices and studied energy transfer processes via morphological effects on solar cell efficiency. In understanding energy transfer pathways and improving device performance, 2D phase coherent spectroscopy may provide further insights. Hybrid plasmonic organic photovoltaic systems are also being extensively
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using time-dependent variational wavefunctions (Figure 1). Through a comprehensive theoretical framework we aim to address critical issues such as quantum transport, efficiency of excitonic energy transfer, and simulating optical spectra. Ongoing quantum mechanical calculations and electronic structure studies are greatly aided by our newly installed computing cluster at MSE. In
collaboration with SPMS, NTU, extensive efforts are also being devoted to assemble 2D optical spectrometer with novel pulse shaping technology. This facility will allow us to directly probe the vibrational dynamics, excitation transfer and relaxation in natural photosynthetic systems on femto- to pico-second timescales.
studied. Exciting progress is being made in the synthesis of a variety of novel donor-acceptor dyad molecules, which are being subjected to thorough scrutiny to understand possible role of quantum coherence and the ways in which they could be used as efficient light-harvesting systems.
Inorganic Light Harvesting SystemsThis sub-project undertakes the development of novel inorganic materials for applications in artificial light harvesting systems. Prototype photovoltaic
devices based on novel oxide semiconductors have already been fabricated and focus is being channelled to optical characterization and on maximizing the device efficiencies. We have also successfully synthesized gold nanocrystals with surface Plasmon responses that show interesting light harvesting capabilities. A range of novel nanoparticle systems is being investigated with the aid of transient absorption spectroscopy to uncover the facets of charge and energy transfer processes between different species.
Figure 1. (a) Real space dynamics of the coherence size (Lr) for 3 rings, 4 rings and 5 rings. (b) The reduced density matrix for 3 rings at t3. (c) Lipid reconstituted LH2 2D crystal [1]
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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
S. W. Cao, J. Fang, M. M. Shahjamali, Z. Wang, Z. Yin, Y. H. Yang, F. Boey, J. Barber, S. C. J. Loo, and C. Xue, In situ growth of Au nanoparticles on Fe2O3 nanocrystals for catalytic applications, CrystEngComm 14, 7229 (2012).
J Fang, S W Cao, Z Wang, M M Shahjamali, F Boey, S C J Loo, J Barber, and C Xue, Mesoporous Plasmonic Au-TiO2 Nanocomposites for Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Water Reduction, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 37, 17853 (2012).
J K Gao, X F Liu, Y Liu, L L Yu, Y H Feng, H Y Chen, Y X Li, G Rakesh, C H A Huan, T C Sum, Y Zhao, Q C Zhang, Experimental and Theoretical Studies on Pyrene-grafted Polyoxometalate Hybrid, Dalton Transactions 41, 12185 (2012).
G Li, A A Putu, J K Gao, Y Divayana, W Q Chen, Y Zhao, X W Sun, and Q C Zhang, Synthesis, physical properties and OLED performance of 2,7,11,16-tetra-tert-butyldiphenanthro [4,5-abc:4’,5’-hij] phenazine (BDPP), to appear in Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry (2012).
Z B Lim, H Li, S Sun, J Y Lek, A Trewin, Y M Lam, and A C Grimsdale, New 3D supramolecular Zn(II)coordinated self-assembled organic networks, J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 6218 (2012).
J Moix, Y Zhao, and J S Cao, Equilibrium-Reduced Density Matirx Formulation: Influence of Noise, Disorder, and Temperature on Localization in Excitonic Systems, Physical Review B 85, 115412 (2012).
Y Peng, Z Zhang, T V Pham, Y Zhao, P Wu, and J L Wang, Understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic dopants in cupric oxide: a density functional theory analysis, Journal of Applied Physics 111, 103708 (2012).
D Rajwar, X Sun, S Cho, A C Grimsdale, and D Fichou, Synthesis and 2D self-assembly at the liquid-solid interface of end-substituted star-shaped oligophenylenes” CrystEngComm, 14, 5182 (2012).
M M Shahjamali, M Bosman, S W Cao, X Huang, S Saadat, E Martinsson, D Aili, Y Y Tay, B Liedberg, S C J Loo, H Zhang, F Boey, and C Xue, Gold Coating of Silver Nanoprisms, Adv. Func. Mater. 22, 849 (2012).
N Wu, K W Sun, Z Chang, and Y Zhao, Resonant Energy Transfer Assisted by Off-Diagonal Coupling, Journal of Chemical Physics 136, 124513 (2012).
S J Xiong, Y Xiong, and Y Zhao, Enhancement of coherent transport of energies by disorder and temperature in light harvesting processes, Journal of Chemical Physics 137, 094107 (2012).
G C Yang, N Wu, T Chen, K W Sun, and Y Zhao, Theoretical Examination of Long-range Energy Propagation in Nano-Engineered Light Harvesting Antenna Arrays, Journal of Physical Chemistry C 116, 3747 (2012).
J Ye, K W Sun, Y Zhao, Y J Yu, C K Lee, and J S Cao, Excitonic energy transfer in light-harvesting complexes in purple bacteria, Journal of Chemical Physics 136, 245104 (2012).
L You, S Yasui, X Zou, H Ding, Z H Chen, W G Chen, L Chen, H Funakubo, and J L Wang, Domain tuning in mixed-phase BiFeO3 thin films using vicinal substrate, Appl. Phys. Lett.100, 202901 (2012).
Y Zhang, L W Duan, Q H Chen, and Y Zhao, Polaronic discontinuities induced by off-diagonal coupling, Journal of Chemical Physics 137, 034108 (2012).
Y Zhao, B Luo, Y Zhang, and J Ye, Dynamics of a Holstein polaron with off-diagonal coupling, Journal of Chemical Physics 137 , 084113 (2012).
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Nanomaterials for Energy and Water Management
Energy and water are two key resources in the world. These resources are valuable commodities and their sustainability is one of the essential issues today. The focus of this program is to develop new materials, methodologies and processes, and apply them in the field of energy conversion and conservation, water sensing, and remediation.
The programme aims to contribute to the Singapore research and commercial roadmap, and provide economic impact to Singapore as it will focus strongly on delivering technologies, commercial processes/products and IPs for key energy and water industries. It will serve as an attraction for both research scientists and overseas investment companies to Singapore, thus bringing in
Programme PIs Prof Shlomo Magdassi (HUJ)Prof Robert Marks (BGU)Assoc Prof Lee Pooi See (NTU)Prof Christian Kloc (NTU)Prof Zhang Hua (NTU)Nanyang Assoc Prof Chen Xiaodong (NTU)
CollaboratorsHebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ)Ben-Gurion University (BGU)
Funding AgencyCREATE, National Research Foundation
both research talent and industry players. The programme will also focus on IPs in areas such as new material structures and formulations, processes in scalable coating, printing, electro deposition, film casting, sensors and remediation technologies. PIs of this programme have excellent records in collaborating with industry and in commercializing research results. Several companies have already been setting up in energy and water remediation, arising from the work potential in commercialization. The programme is a convergence of complimentary know-how from lead scientists of NTU, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) and Ben-Gurion University (BGU). The HUJ Chemistry team brings strong chemical synthesis and formulation
skills to develop newly designed highly functional nanomaterials, processes and applications. The BGU Biotechnology team brings strength in developing better nanomaterials based devices for biosensors and environmental applications. The School of Materials Science and Engineering, NTU brings competencies in device fabrication and integration, as well as in engineering scale up and engineering test bedding.
The programme started officially on 1 July 2011. The program’s 1st symposium on Nanomaterials for Energy and Water Management was held on 11 and 12 Aug 2011 at the Nanyang Executive Centre in NTU (Fig. 1). In 2012, The National Research Foundation with elite international research universities established a complex of world-
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class research centre in Singapore: the Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise (CREATE). As one of the CREATE programmes, team members showed the programme poster, demo and booth during the CREATE Opening (Fig. 3). The 2nd year programme internal workshop for the programme was held in
Figure 1. Members of the program at the 1st NRF CREATE Symposium
Figure 3. Team members showed the programme poster, demo and booth at the CREATE Opening
Figure 2. 2nd NRF CREATE Symposium held on 29 and 30 May 2013
Figure 4. CREATE symposium on “Nanomaterials for Water Management” held on 27 May, 2013 in BGU, Beer Sheva.
Jerusalem on 29 & 30 May 2013 (Fig. 2), and an open water Thrust symposium on the theme of “Nanomaterials for Water Management” was held in BGU, Beer Sheva, on 27 May 2013 (Fig 4). 13 NTU collaborators and 2 visiting scientists presented their progress and achievements on each project in the workshop and symposium in Israel. Close collaborations between the universities continue to flourish.
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MES The Program consists of two thrusts:
• Energy Conservation & Conversion via Nano-Materials• Water Sensing & Remediation Using Smart Materials
With the combined knowledge from the three institutes, both thrusts have expertise in nanometer scale synthesis, assembly and scale up technologies suitable for both nanomaterials and nano devices. The basic outlines of research found in both thrusts are summarized as follows:
Thrust 1: Energy Conversion and Conservation via NanomaterialsProject 1: Thermoactive materials Project 2: Thermoelectric materials and coatingProject 3: Photovoltaic materialsProject 4: Low power piezoelectric materials Project 5: Thermochromic coatings for smart windowProject 6: Electrochromic materials Project 7: Carbon materials and conductive inks for energy conservation Thrust 2: Water Sensing and Remediation using Smart Tailored MaterialsProject 1: Functionalized hydrogels Project 2: Nanostructured surfaces for signal enhancementProject 3: Tailored bacterial bioreactors Project 4: Nanocomposite for water remediation Project 5: Antifouling nanomaterials
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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
S. X. Wu, Q. Y. He, C. M. Zhou, X. Y. Qi, X. Huang, Z. Y. Yin, Y. H. Yang, H. Zhang; Synthesis of Fe3O
4 and Pt
nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide used as recyclable catalyst , Nanoscale, DOI:10.1039/C2NR11992G, 2012.
M. M. Shahjamali, M. Bosman, S. W. Cao, X. Huang, S. Saadat, E. Martinsson, D. Aili, Y. Y. Tay, B. Liedberg, S. C. J. Loo, H. Zhang, F. Boey, C. Xue; Gold Coating of Silver Nanoprisms, Adv. Funct. Mater., DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201102028 , 2012.
X. Huang, X. Y. Qi, F. Boey, H. Zhang; Graphene-Based Composites, Chem. Soc. Rev., Vol. 41, Pages 666-686, 2012. (Inside Cover Article)
Shengyan Yin, Yulia Goldovsky, Mosh Herzberg, Lei Liu, Hang Sun, Yanyan Zhang, Fanben Meng, Xuebo Cao, Darren D. Sun, Hongyu Chen, Ariel Kushmaro, and Xiaodong Chen*, “Functional Free-Standing Graphene Honeycomb Films” Adv. Funct. Mater. 2013, XX, 1–7 adfm 201203491(201203491).
W. Y. Zhao, S. F. Fan, N. Xiao, D. Y. Liu, Y. Y. Tay, C. Yu, D. H. Sim, H. H. Hng, Q. C. Zhang, F. Boey, J. Ma, X. B. Zhao, H. Zhang, Q. Y. Yan; Flexible Carbon Nanotube Papers with Improved Thermoelectric Properties”, Energ. Environ. Sci., 5, 5364-5369, 2012.
Guang Lu, Shaozhou Li, Zhen Guo, Omar K. Farha, Brad G. Hauser, Xiaoying Qi, Yi Wang, Xin Wang, Sanyang Han, Xiaogang Liu, Joseph S. DuChene, Hua Zhang, Qichun Zhang, Xiaodong Chen, Jan Ma, Say Chye Joachim Loo1, Wei D. Wei, Yanhui Yang, Joseph T. Hupp and Fengwei Huo; Imparting functionality to a metal–organic framework material by controlled nanoparticle encapsulation, Nature Chemistry, DOI:10.1038/NCHEM.1272, 2012.
Jianjun Du, Lin Jiang, Qi Shao, Xiaogang Liu, Robert S. Marks, Jan Ma, and Xiaodong Chen,“Colorimetric Detection of Mercury Ions Based on Plasmonic Nanoparticles, smll, 201200811 (201200811).
Jianjun Du, Qi Shao, Shengyan Yin, Lin Jiang, Jan Ma, and Xiaodong Chen*,“ Colorimetric Chemodosimeter Based on Diazonium–Gold-Nanoparticle Complexes for Sulfite Ion Detection in Solution”, smll, 201201650 (201201650).
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FACULTY OVERVIEW
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FACULTY OVERVIEW
Research Interests• Biodegradable Implants: The main effort is directed by the NRF CRP grant awarded to Prof Boey on “Fully Biodegradable
Cardiovascular Implant”. The research work involve cellular - biomaterials interface and interaction, synthesis of elastomeric biodegradable polymers and drug / peptide eluting implants for stents and “hole in the heart” PFO plugs. Another major effort, collaborating with the Singapore Eye Research Institute, involves development of drug eluting microspheres and film inserts for retina infections and macula degeration glaucoma.
• Electroactive Materials: The research work involves development of PZT pumps and frictionless micro-pumps as micropumps for cooling / heat exchange, and diabetes / pain management drug release, etc. A start-up company has been formed to exploit this technology commercially.
• Nanomaterials for Detection, Identification and Remediation: The research work involves developing functionalized nanoparticles for toxins, disease causing biological agents and forensic applications, anisotropic nanoparticles for color enhancement and light harvesting.
BOEY Yin Chiang Freddy Professor Provost, NTU
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/mycboey.aspx
Selected Publications
Huang, X; Li, SZ; Wu, SX; Huang, YZ; Boey, F; Gan, CL; Zhang, H, Graphene Oxide-Templated Synthesis of Ultrathin or Tadpole-Shaped Au Nanowires with Alternating hcp and fcc Domains, ADVANCED MATERIALS, 24(7), 979-+, 2012.
Huang, X; Qi, XY; Boey, F; Zhang, H, Graphene-based composites, CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS, 41(2), 666-686, 2012.
Shahjamali, MM; Bosman, M; Cao, SW; Huang, X; Saadat, S; Martinsson, E; Aili, D; Tay, YY; Liedberg, B; Loo, SCJ; Zhang, H; Boey, F; Xue, C, Gold Coating of Silver Nanoprisms, ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, 22(4), 849-854, 2012.
Zeng, ZY; Huang, X; Yin, ZY; Li, H; Chen, Y; Li, H; Zhang, Q; Ma, J; Boey, F; Zhang, H, Fabrication of Graphene Nanomesh by Using an Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane as a Template, ADVANCED MATERIALS, 24(30), 4138-4142, 2012.
Zhou, XZ; Shade, CM; Schmucker, AL; Brown, KA; He, S; Boey, F; Ma, J; Zhang, H; Mirkin, CA, OWL-Based Nanomasks for Preparing Graphene Ribbons with Sub-10 nm Gaps, NANO LETTERS, 12(9), 4734-4737, 2012.
Kong, LB; Li, S2; Zhang, TS; Zhai, JW3; Boey, FYC; Ma, J, Electrically tunable dielectric materials and strategies to improve their performances, PROGRESS IN MATERIALS SCIENCE, 55(8), 840-893, 2010.
Li B., Cao XH., Ong HG., Cheah JW., Zhou XZ., Yin ZY., Li H., Wang JL., Boey F., Huang W., Zhang H, All-Carbon Electronic Devices Fabricated by Directly Grown Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Reduced Graphene Oxide Electrodes, ADVANCED MATERIALS, 22(28), 3058-3061, 2010.
Qi XY., Pu KY., Li H., Zhou XZ., Wu SX., Fan QL., Liu B., Boey F., Huang W., Zhang H, Amphiphilic Graphene Composites, ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION, 49(49), 9426-9429, 2010.
Zhou WW , Zhu JX , Li D , Hng HH , Boey FYC , Ma J , Zhang H , Yan QY, Binary-Phased Nanoparticles for Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties, ADVANCED MATERIALS, 21(31), 3196-3200, 2009.
Li B , Goh CF , Zhou XZ , Lu G , Tantang H, Chen YH , Xue C , Boey FYC , Zhang H, Patterning Colloidal Metal Nanoparticles for Controlled Growth of Carbon Nanotubes, ADVANCED MATERIALS, 20(24), 4873 - 4878, 2008.
Funded Research Projects
• Biodegradable Cardiovascular Implants
• The Regenerative Medicine Initiative in Cardiac Restoration Therapy Research Programme
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Research Interests• Integrated nano-bio interface: to develop programmed nanostructure-biomaterial hybrid systems for monitoring, manipulating,
and mimicking biological processes at the nanoscale.
• Programmable nanomaterials for energy conversion: to explore programmed nanoscale modules for light harvesting, charge separation, solar energy conversion, and storage.
CHEN Xiaodong Nanyang Associate Professor and NRF Fellow
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/chenxd
Selected Publications
Niu, Z.; Zhang, L.; Liu, L.; Zhu, B.; Dong, H.; Chen, X.* “All-Solid-State Flexible Ultrathin Micro-Supercapacitors Based on Graphene” Adv. Mater.2013, 25, doi:10.1002/adma.201301332.
Zhang, L.; Chen, X.* “Nanofluidics for Giant Power Harvesting” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, 52, 7640.
Cao, X.; Qi, D.; Yin, S.; Bu, J.; Li, F.; Goh, C. F.; Zhang, S.; Chen, X.* “Ambient Fabrication of Large-area Graphene Films via a Synchronous Reduction and Assembly Strategy” Adv. Mater.2013, 25, 2957.
Yin, S.; Goldovsky, Y.; Herzberg, M.; Liu, L.; Sun, H.; Zhang, Y.; Meng, F.; Cao, X.; Sun, D. D.; Chen, H.; Kushmaro, A.; Chen, X.* “Functional Free-stansding Graphene Honeycomb Films” Adv. Funct. Mater.2013, 23, 2972.
Niu, Z.; Dong, H.; Zhu, B.; Li, J. Hng, H. H.; Zhou, W.;* Chen, X.;* Xie, S. “Highly Stretchable Integrated Supercapacitors Based on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Films with Continuous Reticulate Architecture” Adv. Mater.2013, 25, 1058.
Wu, Y.-L.; Putcha, N.; Ng, K. W.; Leong, D.; Lim, C. T.; Loo, S. C.;* Chen, X.* “Biophysical Responses upon the Interaction of Nanomaterials with Cellular Interfaces” Acc. Chem. Res. 2013, 46, 782.
Niu, Z.; Luan, P.; Shao, Q.; Dong, H,; Li, J.; Chen, J.; Zhao, D.; Cai, L.; Zhou, W.;* Chen, X.;* Xie, S. “A “Skeleton/Skin” Strategy for Preparing Ultrathin Free-Standing Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Polyaniline Films for High Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes” Energy Environ. Sci. 2012, 5, 8726.
Meng, F.; Hervault, Y.-M.; Norel, L.; Costuas, K.; Van Dyck, C.;Geskin, V.; Cornil, J.;Hng, H. H.; Rigaut, S.;*Chen, X.*”Photo-modulable Molecular Transport Junctions based on OrganometallicMolecular Wires” Chem. Sci.2012, 3, 3113.
Niu, Z.; Chen, J.; Hng, H. H.; Ma, J.; Chen, X.* “A Leavening Strategy to Prepare Reduced Graphene Oxide Foams” Adv. Mater.2012, 24, 4144-4150.
Jiang, L.; Sun, Y.; Nowak, C.; Kibrom, A.; Zou, C.; Ma, J.; Fuchs, H.; Li, S.;* Chi, L.;* Chen, X.* “Patterning of Plasmonic Nanoparticles into Multiplexed One-Dimensional Arrays Based on Spatially Modulated Electrostatic Potential” ACS Nano 2011, 5, 8288-8294.
POROUS GRAPHENE
A scalable and solution-processable strategy called the “on water spreading” method is developed to create free-standing graphene honeycomb fi lms. As reported by Xiaodong Chen and co-workers on page 2972, the free-standing honeycomb fi lms obtained can be easily transferred to the substrates of interest while retaining their original sizes and structures. They exhibit broad spectrum antibacterial activity and enhanced effi ciency of photoconversion.
ADFM-23-23-Frontispiece.indd 1 10/06/13 4:46 PM
MAKING GRAPHENE “BREAD”On page 4144, X. Chen and co-workers use a leavening strategy—involving hydrazine vapor—to prepare reduced graphene oxide (rGO) foams with porous and continuously cross-linked structures from freestanding compact GO lay-ered fi lms. The rGO foams perform excellently as fl exible electrode materials for supercapacitors and selective organic absorbents.
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Funded Research Projects
• Nanomaterials for Energy and Water Management
• Integrated Nanostructure-Biomaterial Hybrid Systems for Bioelectronics
• Integrated Plasmonic Nanostructures for Biomimetic Sensing
• Initiative for Sustainable Energy (SinBeRISE)
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CHEN ZhongAssociate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/aszchen
Funded Research Projects
• Braided Composite Modelling – Failure Analysis and Progressive Damage Prediction
• Electrodeposition of Gold and Nickel Films for Smart Card Application
• Study of Process Responses, Intermetallics and Reliability of Palladium-Copper Wire Bonding
• Multi-Functional Sol-Gel Coatings for Wind-Turbine Blade Protection
Selected Publications
Z. L. Jiang, Y. X. Tang, Q. L. Tay, Y. Y. Zhang, O. I. Malyi, D. P. Wang, J. Y. Deng, Y. K. Lai, H. F. Zhou, X. D. Chen, Z. L. Dong, Z. Chen “Understanding the Role of Nanostructures for Efficient Hydrogen Generation on Immobilized Photocatalysts”, Advanced Energy Materials, 2013, doi: 10.1002/aenm.201300380.
Y. X. Tang, Z. L. Jiang, G. C. Xing, A. R. Li, P. D. Kanhere, Y. Y. Zhang, T. C. Sum, S. Z. Li, X. D. Chen, Z. L. Dong, Z. Chen “Efficient Ag@AgCl Cubic Cages Photocatalyst Profit from Ultrafast Plasmon-induced Electron Transfer Process”, Advanced Functional Materials, 2013, Vol. 23, pp. 2932-2940.
V. V. Kulish, M.-F. Ng, O. I. Malyi, P. Wu, Z. Chen “Enhanced Li Adsorption and Diffusion in Single-Walled Silicon Nanotubes: An ab Initio Study”, ChemPhysChem, 2013, Vol. 14, pp. 1161-1167.
Y. Yang, J. N. Balaraju, S. C. Chong, H. Xu, C. Q. Liu, V. V. Silberschmidt, Z. Chen “Significantly retarded interfacial reaction between an electroless Ni-W-P metallization and lead-free Sn-3.5Ag solder”, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2013, Vol. 565, pp. 11-16.
P. D. Kanhere, J. Nisar, Y. X. Tang, B. Pathak, R. Ahuja, J. W. Zheng, Z. Chen “Visible light active LaFeO3-NaTaO
3 solid solution photocatalyst”, The Journal of
Physical Chemistry C, 2012, Vol. 116, pp. 22767-22773.
Y. K. Lai, Y. X. Tang, J. J. Gong, D. G. Gong, L. F. Chi, C. J. Lin, Z. Chen “Transparent superhydrophobic / superhydrophilic TiO2-based coatings for self-
cleaning and anti-fogging”, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2012, Vol. 22, pp. 7420-7426.
H. Yan, Y. Y. Tay, Y. Y. Jiang, N. Yantara, J. S. Pan, M. H. Liang, Z. Chen “Copper Diffusion Barrier Performance of Amorphous Ta-Ni Thin Films”, Applied Surface Science, 2012, Vol. 258, pp. 3158-3162.
L. Shen, W. C. D. Cheong, Y. L. Foo, Z. Chen “Nanoindentation creep of tin and aluminium: A comparative study between constant load and constant strain rate methods”, Materials Science and Engineering A, 2012, Vol. 532, pp. 505-510.
O. I. Malyi, Z. Chen, G. G. Shu, P. Wu “Effect of sulfur impurity on the stability of cubic zirconia and its interfaces with metals”, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2011, Vol. 21, pp. 12363-12368.
H. Xu, C. Liu, V. V. Silberschmidt, S. S. Pramana, T. J. White, Z. Chen, V. L. Acoff “Behavior of aluminum oxide, intermetallics and voids in Cu-Al wire bonds”, Acta Materialia, 2011, Vol. 59, pp. 5661-5673.
Research Interests• Thin Films & Low-dimensional Materials: Thin films & nano-materials for clean energy and environmental applications;
Microelectronic thin films; Protective and functional surface coatings.
• Mechanical Behavior of Materials: Fracture, fatigue, and creep of bulk monolithic & composite materials, thin films and multi-layers; Experimental and computational mechanics.
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CHO Nam-Joon Nanyang Associate Professor & NRF Fellow
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/njcho
Selected Publications
Mezer AA, Yeatman J, Stikov N, Kay K, Cho NJ, et al. Measuring within the voxel—brain macromolecular tissue volume in individual subjects. Nature Medicine 2013; Accepted.
Tabaei SR, Rabe M, Zhdanov VP, Cho NJ*, Hook F*. Single vesicle analysis reveals nanoscale membrane curvature selective pore formation in lipid membranes by an antiviral α-helical peptide. Nano Letters 2012; 2(11):5719-25.
Zhao H, Ong WQ, Zhou F, Fang X, Chen X, Li SFY, Su H, Cho NJ, Zeng H. Chiral crystallization of aromatic helical foldamers via complementarities in shape and end functionalities. Chemical Science 2012; 3(6): 2042-2046.
Cho NJ*, Frank CW, Kasemo B, Hook F*. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring of supported lipid bilayers on various substrates. Nature Protocols 2010; 5(6): 1096–1106.
Huang CJ, Cho NJ, Hsu CJ et al. Type I collagen-functionalized supported lipid bilayer as a cell culture platform. Biomacromolecules 2010;11(5):1231-40.
Cho NJ, Dvory-Sobol H, Lee CH, Cho SJ, Glenn JS. Identification of a novel class of HCV inhibitors directed against the nonstructural protein NS4B. Science Translational Medicine 2010; 2(15): 15ra6.
Lee WJ, Wiseman M, Cho NJ, et al. The reliable targeting of specific drug release profiles by integrating arrays of different albumin-encapsulated microsphere types. Biomaterials 2009; 30(34): 6648-6654.
Lee WJ, Cho NJ, et al. Hydrophobic nanoparticles improve permeability of cell-encapsulating poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels while maintaining patternability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 2010; 107(48): 20709-20714.
Cho NJ, Dvory-Sobol H, Xiong A, Frank CW, Glenn JS. The mechanism of an amphipathic α-helical peptide’s antiviral activity involves size-dependent virus particle lysis. ACS Chemical Biology 2009; 4(12): 1061-1067.
Cho NJ, Cho SJ, Cheong KH, Glenn JS, Frank CW. Employing an amphipathic viral peptide to create a lipid bilayer on Au and TiO2. Journal of the American
Chemical Society 2007; 129(33): 10050-10051.
Surface Science — Engineering Model Membrane Platforms for Biomedicine
Infectious Diseases — Improving Treatment Options for Deadly Viral Pathogens
Tissue Engineering — Fabricating Artificial Tissues for Human Health and Medicine
Funded Research Projects
• Artificial Liver Platform for Next-Generation Drug Discovery and Development
• Targeting Assembly and Functional of Hepatitis C Virus Replicase
• Combating Infectious Diseases: Engineering Strategies for Molecular Virology
• Biophysical Applications of Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy
Research InterestsOur group is called the Translational Science Group, and we focus on engineering approaches to solve important biomedical problems and translate these capabilities into practical applications for global health. The group’s research activities are divided into several categories that range from fundamental studies to clinically-oriented applications, including:
• Surface Science — Engineering Model Membrane Platforms for Biomedicine• Infectious Diseases — Improving Treatment Options for Deadly Viral Pathogens• Tissue Engineering — Fabricating Artificial Tissues for Human Health and Medicine
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Cleo CHOONG Assistant Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/cleochoong
Selected Publications
Tan, C.K., Tan, E.H., Luo, B., Huang, C.L., Loo, J.S., Choong, C., et al. (2013) SMAD3 Deficiency Promotes Inflammatory Aortic Aneurysms in Angiotensin II-Infused Mice Via Activation of iNOS. J Am Heart Assoc. 2(3):e000269.
Loh, Q.L., and Choong, C. (2013) Three-dimensional Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications: Role of Porosity and Pore Size. Tissue Eng Part B. DOI:10.1089/ten.teb.2012.0437.
Maleksaeedi, S., Wang, J.K., El-Hajje, A., Harb, L., Guneta, V., He, Z., Wiria, F.E., Choong, C. and Ruys, A.J. (2013). Toward 3D Printed Bioactive Titanium Scaffolds with Bimodal Pore Size Distribution for Bone Ingrowth. Procedia CIRP 5(0): 158.
Hoo, S.P., Loh, Q.L., Yue, Z., Fu, J., Tan, T.T.Y., Choong, C., Chan, P.P.Y. (2013) Preparation of soft and interconnected macroporous hydroxypropylcellulose methacrylate scaffold for adipose tissue engineering. Journal of Material Chemistry B. DOI:10.1039/C3TB00446E.
Yuan, S., Yin, J., Jiang, W., Liang, B., Pehkonen, S.O. and Choong, C. (2013) Enhancing Antibacterial Activities of Surface-Grafted Chitosan with Immobilized Lysozyme on Bioinspired Stainless Steel Substrates. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 106(0): 11-21.
Liu, Y., Tan, T. T. Y., Yuan, S., Choong, C. (2013). Multifunctional P(PEGMA)-REDV conjugated titanium surfaces for improved endothelial cell selectivity and hemocompatibility. Journal of Materials Chemistry B 1(2): 157-167.
Xu, Q.C., Zhang, Y., Tan, M.J., Liu, Y., Yuan, S., Choong, C., Tan, N.S. and Tan, T.T. (2012). Anti-cAngptl4 Ab-Conjugated N-TiO2 /NaYF
4:Yb,Tm Nanocomposite
for Near Infrared-Triggered Drug Release and Enhanced Targeted Cancer Cell Ablation. Advanced Healthcare Materials 1(4): 470-474.
Yuan, S., Xiong, G., Wang, X., Zhang, S. and Choong, C. (2012). Surface modification of polycaprolactone substrates using collagen-conjugated poly(methacrylic acid) brushes for the regulation of cell proliferation and endothelialisation. Journal of Materials Chemistry 22(26): 13039-13049.
Thian, E.S., Konishi, T., Kawanobe, Y., Lim, P.N., Choong, C., Ho, B. and Aizawa, M. (2012) Zinc-substituted hydroxyapatite: a biomaterial with enhanced bioactivty and antibacterial property. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine. DOI 10.1007/s10856-012-4817-x.
Yuan, S., Tang, S., Lv, L., Bin Liang, B., Choong, C. and Pehkonen, S.O. Poly(4-vinylaniline)-Polyaniline Bilayer-Modified Stainless Steels for the Mitigation of Biocorrosion by Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria (SRB) in Seawater. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. DOI 10.1021/ie302303x.
Research InterestsDr Choong is interested in the artificial microenvironment made up of the interaction of cells and materials and how this microenvironment can be manipulated for cell-based therapy applications. In particular, she is interested in the development of biomaterials that support lineage specific differentiation and in vivo function of cells for the intended application. Another area of research focus within Dr Choong’s group is on the application of engineering techniques and principles to study the structure and properties of biological tissues and cells. By learning more about the properties of the native microenvironment, it will facilitate the appropriate choice of materials (natural and synthetic), surface modification techniques and source of cells to use in order to come up with a functional biological substitute that can be used for clinical applications, as well as to develop in vitro platforms for drug testing/screening.
Funded Research Projects
• Encapsulated cells for tissue engineering applications: Optimisation of microenvironmental conditions for 3D culture of cells
• Development of novel tissue engineering approach for microsurgical flap coverage
• Instructive microenvironments for directing growth and proliferation of cells
• A 3D Injectable Hydrogel-Bioactive Glass Hybrid Construct for Bone Regeneration
• Development of massively parallel nanolithography for the study of stem cells
• Conductive PCL-based scaffolds for enhanced wound healing under electrical stimulation
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Aravind DASARI Assistant Professor
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/aravind.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Polymer Nanocomposites - Novel Approaches for (Active) Food Packaging
• Development of Eco-Friendly and Superior Flame Retardant Polymer Nanocomposites
Selected Publications
A. Dasari, G-P. Cai, Z-Z. Yu, Y-W. Mai, Recent developments in the fire retardancy of polymeric materials, Prog. Polym. Sci. in press (2013). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2013.06.006.
Y. Shen, H-B. Zhang, H. Zhang, W. Ren, A. Dasari, G-S. Tang, Z-Z. Yu, Structural evolution of functionalized grapheme sheets during solvothermal reduction, Carbon 56 (2013) 132.
A. Dasari, J. Quirós, B. Herrero, K. Boltes, E. García-Calvo, R. Rosal, Antifouling membranes prepared by electrospinning polylactic acid containing biocidal nanoparticles, J. Memb. Sci. 405-406 (2012) 134.
H-L. Ma, H-B. Zhang, Q-H. Hu, W-J. Li, Z-G. Jiang, Z-Z. Yu, A. Dasari, Functionalization and reduction of graphene oxide with p-phenylene diamine for electrically conductive and thermally stable polystyrene composites, ACS Appl. Mater. Interf. 4 (2012) 1948.
Y. Shen, T. Jing, W. Ren, J. Zhang, Z-G. Jiang, Z-Z. Yu, A. Dasari, Chemical and thermal reduction of graphene oxide and its electrically conductive polylactic acid nanocomposites, Compos. Sci. Technol. 72 (2012) 1430.
A. Dasari, Q-X. Zhang, Z-Z. Yu, Y-W. Mai, Toughening polypropylene and its nanocomposites with submicrometer voids, Macromolecules 43 (2010) 5734.
A. Dasari et al., Roles of graphite oxide, clay and POSS during the combustion of polyamide 6, Polymer 50 (2009) 1577.
A. Dasari, Z-Z. Yu, Y-W. Mai, Fundamental aspects and recent progress on wear/scratch damage in polymer nanocomposites, Mater. Sci. Engng - Reports 63 (2009) 31.
A. Dasari, Z-Z. Yu, Y-W. Mai, S. Liu, Flame retardancy of highly filled polyamide 6/clay nanocomposites, Nanotechnology 18 (2007) 445602.
A. Dasari, Z-Z. Yu, Y-W. Mai, Nanoscratching of nylon 66-based ternary nanocomposites, Acta Mater. 55 (2007) 635.
Research InterestsTo develop an in-depth understanding of the various facets of processing-structure-property relations in hybrid polymer nanocomposites to achieve synergistic properties for different end applications (schematically illustrated below). These facets include:
• Thermal stability and flame retardancy• Functional properties (electrical/thermal conductivities and biodegradability) • Active food packaging• Wear/scratch damage at different scales• Deformation and Fracture mechanisms• Application of electrospinning technique
59
DONG Zhili Associate Professor
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/zldong.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Advanced Waste Gasification/Pyrolysis for Bio-energy Production
• Development of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Ultra High Performance Concrete
• Controlled Synthesis of Catalytic Polyoxometalates for the Removal of Phenol from Waste Water
Selected Publications
J. Nutting, J. M. Guilemany, Z. Dong, “Substrate/coating interface structure of WC-Co high velocity oxygen sprayed coating on low alloy steel”, Materials Science and Technology, 1995, Vol.11, No.9, p961-966.
Z. L. Dong, K. A. Khor, C. H. Quek, T. J. White and P. Chaeng, “TEM and STEM analysis on heat-treated and in vitro plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite /Ti-6Al-4V composite coatings”, Biomaterials, 2003 (1), 24, p97-105.
Z. L. Dong and T. J. White, “Calcium-lead fluoro-vanadinite apatites: I Disequilibrium structure”, Acta Crystallographica B, 2004, 60 (2), p138-145.
L. Z. Zhang, W. Gu, Z. L. Dong, X. Liu, B. Li and M. L. Liu, “Syntheses, structures and properties of a series of photochromic hybrids based on Keggin tungstophosphates”, Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 2009, 182, p1040 -1044.
Y. Q. Shen, A. Tok, Z. L. Dong, “Development of translucent oxyapatite ceramics by spark-plasma sintering”, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2010, 93 (10), p3060-63.
Y. X. Tang, Z. Chen, Z. L. Dong, “In situ formation of large-scale Ag/AgCl nanoparticles on layered titanate honeycomb by gas phase reaction for visible light degradation of phenol solution”, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2011, 106, p577-585.
Y. Q. Shen, R. Chen, G. G. Gurzadyan, J. L. Xu, H. D. Sun, K. A. Khor, Z. L. Dong, “Fabrication ans spectroscopic characterization of Ce3+ doped Sr2Y
8(SiO
4)6O
2
translucent ceramics”, Optical Materials, 2012, 34, p1155-1160.
Z. P. Li, M. Bosman, Z. Yang, P. Ren, L. Wang, L. Cao, X. J. Yu, C. Ke, M. B. H. Breese, A. Rusydi, W. G. Zhu, Z. L. Dong, and Y. L. Foo, “Interface and surface cation stoichiometry modified by oxygen vacancies in epitaxial manganite films”, Advanced Functional Materials, 2012, 22, p4312-21.
Y. Tang, Z. Jiang, G. Xing, A. Li, P. D. Kanhere, Y. Zhang, T. C. Sum, S. Li, X. Chen, Z. L. Dong, Z. Chen, “Efficient Ag@AgCl cubic cages photocatalyst profited from ultrafast plasmon induced electron transfer process” Advanced Functional Materials, 2013, 23, p2932-2940.
Fig 1. RE-Apatite crystal structure Fig 2. Electron energy loss spectra of Mn L2,3 edges for a LSMO coating.
Research Interests• Processing of alloys, ceramics, and polyoxometalates• Functional geo-mimetic materials (including apatite-type, perovskite-type, spinel-type, wurtzite-type, anatase-type, and
layered-type) • X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy of materials• Interface structure analysis by TEM/EELS• Electronic structure - crystal structure - property relationships
60
FONG Wenmei Eileen Assistant Professor
http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/wmfong
Funded Research Projects
• Artificial proteins for skin substitutes
• Antibacterial elastin-based silver proteins
• Biological route to synthesize nanomaterials for energy storage
Selected Publications
T.H.A. Truong, M. Xing, E. Fong*, “Self-assembled silver fusion protein nanofibers”, (In preparation).
Y. Zhou, W. Lisowski, E. Fong*, “Genetically engineered magnetotactic bacteria for enhanced phosphate removal”, (Submitted).
M. S. Tjin, A. Chua, D. Ma, S. T. Lee, E. Fong*, “Keratinocyte cell response on integrin-specific artificial extracellular matrix proteins” (Submitted).
E. Fong, C. L. Guo, D. A. Tirrell, “ Patterning of Wound Healing by Long-Range Mechanical Forces” (Submitted).
D. Yang, Y Zhou, X. Rui, J. Zhu, Z. Lu, E. Fong* and Q. Yan*, “Fe3O
4 nanoparticle chains with N-doped carbon coating: Magnetotactic bacteria assisted
synthesis and high-rate lithium storage”, RSC Advances (2013), 3, 14960 - 14962.
T. H. A. Truong, M. Xing, L. H. Duc, A. Sugawara-Narutaki, E. Fong*, “Elastin-based silver-binding proteins with antibacterial capabilities”, Nanomedicine (2013) 8 (4), 567-575.
P. R. Patel, R. C. Kiser, Y. Y. Lu, E. Fong, W. C. Ho, D. A. Tirrell, R. H. Grubbs, “Synthesis and cell adhesive properties of linear and cyclic RGD functionalized polynorbornene thin films”, Biomacromolecules (2012), 13, 8, 2546 − 53.
E. Fong, S. Tzlil, D. A. Tirrell, “Boundary crossing in epithelial wound healing” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA (2010), 107, 45, 19302 − 19307.
E. Fong, D. A. Tirrell, “Collective cell migration on artificial extracellular matrix proteins containing full-length fibronectin domains” Adv. Mater. (2010), 22, 46, 5271 − 5275.
Fig 1. Artificial proteins for skin substitutes
Fig 2. Antibacterial elastin-based silver proteins
Fig 3. Biological route to synthesize nanomaterials for energy storage
1 2
3
Research Interests• Protein engineering: Design and synthesis of artificial protein materials• Tissue engineering: Artificial proteins as skin substitutes, cardiac patches• Study of cell-biomaterial interactions, time-lapse microscopy• Biomimetic synthesis of functional nanostructured metals and metallic compounds for energy storage• Genetically engineered microbes for enhanced phosphate uptake
61
Funded Research Projects
• Project Hardware Assurance
• Reliability Study of AlGaN/GaN on Si Based Devices
• Reliability Study of III-V/Si Semiconductor Based Devices
• High-throughput Microassembly & Packaging (Neurodevice program)
• Development of High Reliability Multi-Chip Module with TSV (Ruggedized Electronics Programme)
• Development of Wafer Level Hermetically Sealed Vacuum and Sealed MEMS Package (Ruggedized Electronics Programme)
Selected Publications
S.R. Chun, W.A. Sasangka, M.Z. Ng, Q. Liu, A. Du, J. Zhu, C.M. Ng, Z.Q. Liu, S.Y. Chiam and C.L. Gan, “Joining Copper Oxide Nanotube Arrays Driven by the Nanoscale Kirkendall effect,” Small, DOI:10/1002/smll.201202533, (2013).
S.Z. Li, X. Huang, Q. Liu, X.H. Cao, F.W. Huo, H. Zhang and C.L. Gan, “Vapor-Liquid-Solid Growth of Endotaxial Semiconductor nanowires,” Nano Letters, vol. 12 (11), p. 5565-5570, (2012).
R. I Made, C.L. Gan, L.L. Yan, K.H.B. Kor, H.L. Chia, K.L. Pey and C.V. Thompson, “Experimental Characterization and Modeling of the Mechanical Properties of Cu-Cu Thermocompression Bonds for Three-Dimensional Integrated Circuits,” Acta Materialia, vol. 60 (2), p. 578-587, (2012).
M.K. Lim, J.Y. Lin, Y.C. Ee, C.M. Ng, J. Wei and C.L. Gan, “Experimental Characterization and Modeling of Electromigration Lifetime Under Unipolar Pulsed Current Stress,” Microelectronics Reliability, vol. 52 (8), p. 1553-1558, (2012).
W. A. Sasangka, C.L. Gan, C.V. Thompson, W.K. Choi and J. Wei, “Influence of Bonding Parameters on the Interaction Between Cu and Non-Eutectic Sn-In Solder Thin Films,” Journal of Electronic Materials, vol. 40 (11), p. 2329- 2336, (2011).
S.Z. Li, H. Cai, C.L. Gan, J. Guo, Z.L. Dong and J. Ma, “Controlled Synthesis of Copper-Silicide Nanostructures”, Crystal Growth & Design, vol. 10 (7), p. 2983-2989, (2010).
H.L. Leong, C.L. Gan, C.V. Thompson, K.L. Pey and H.Y. Li, “Electromigration-induced bond improvement for three-dimensional integrated circuits,” Applied Physics Letter, vol. 94 (8), Art. No. 081901, (2009).
R. I Made, C.L. Gan, L.L. Yan, A.B. Yu, S.W. Yoon, J.H. Lau and C. Lee, “Study of low-temperature thermocompression bonding in Ag-In solder for packaging applications,” Journal of Electronics Materials, vol. 38 (2), p. 365 - 371, (2009).
Fig. 1: Copper nanowires bonding Fig 2: Endotaxially grown SiGe nanowire
Research InterestsAssociate Professor Gan’s current research interests include the reliability study of advanced interconnect systems, process integration and reliability of 3D interconnects, and packaging technology for ruggedized electronics. He has investigated the reliability of sub-micron copper interconnects with newly designed test structures in different dielectric system. With the experimental characterization through electromigration testing, a new assessment methodology for circuit level reliability projection is being developed. Another area of research is on the bonding and reliability of 3D interconnects. Test structures which allow the mechanical and electrical characterization of bonded copper interconnects are designed. This project investigates the feasibility of integrating 3D interconnects into actual circuits. A related topic is using copper nanostructures for bonding for low temperature bonding. Another research area is developing electronics packaging materials for harsh environment, as well as reliability assessment of such a package. His research is done in collaboration with various institutions and companies, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute of Microelectronics, and GlobalFoundries Singapore.
GAN Chee Lip Associate ProfessorDirector, Temasek Laboratories@NTU
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/clgan
62
Andrew GRIMSDALE Associate Professor
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/acgrimsdale.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Towards Efficient Sunlight Harvesting
• Carbon Nanotube Grafting on Carbon Fibres to improve interface strength of composites and other functional applications
• Biomimetic-based antifouling coatings as a route to improve energy efficiency of ships and port structures
• Nanostructured Materials for Energy Harvesting
Selected Publications
The Chemistry of Organic Nanomaterials, A. C. Grimsdale, K. Müllen, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2005, 44, 5592.
Synthesis of Light-Emitting Conjugated Polymers for Applications in Electroluminescent Devices, A. C. Grimsdale, K. L. Chan, R. E. Martin, P. G. Jokisz, A. B. Holmes, Chem. Rev.,2009, 109, 897.
Carbazole-Based Polymers for Organic Photovoltaic Devices, J. Li, A. C.Grimsdale, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2010, 39, 2399.
One-Pot Synthesis of 4,8-Dibromobenzo[1,2-c;4,5-c’]bis-[1,2,5]thia-diazole, T. L. Tam. H. Li, F. Wei, K. Tan, C. Kloc, Y. M. Lam, S. G. Mhaisalkar, A. C. Grimsdale, Org. Lett., 2010, 12, 3340.
Synthesis of Low Band Gap [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-g]quinoxaline and Pyrazino[2,3-g]quinoxaline Derivatives by Selective Reduction of Benzo[1,2-c;4,5-c’]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole, H. Li, T. L. Tam. Y. M. Lam, S. G. Mhaisalkar, A. C. Grimsdale, Org. Lett., 2011, 13, 46.
New 3D supramolecular Zn(II)coordinated self-assembled organic networks, Z. B. Lim, H. Li, S. Sun, J. Y. Lek, A. Trewin, Y. M. Lam, A. C. Grimsdale, J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 6218.
Synthesis and 2D self-assembly at the liquid-solid interface of end-substituted star-shaped oligo-phenylenes, D. Rajwar, X. Sun, S. Cho, A. C. Grimsdale, D. Fichou, CrystEngComm, 2012, 14, 5182.
Synthesis and characterization of a series of annelated benzotriazole-based polymers with variable bandgap, T. L. D. Tam, W. Ye, H. H. R. Tan, S. G. Mhaisalkar, A. C. Grimsdale, J. Org. Chem., 2012, 77, 10035.
From benzobisthiadiazole and thiadiazoloquinoxaline to pyrazinoquinoxaline based polymers: effects of aromatic substituents on the performance of organic photovoltaics, T. L. D. Tam, T. Salim, H. Li, F. Zhou, S. G. Mhaisalkar, H. Su, Y. M. Lam, A. C. Grimsdale, J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 18528.
New donor-π-acceptor sensitizers containing 5H-[1,2,5]thiadiazolo [3,4-f]isoindole-5,7(6H)-dione and 6H-pyrrolo[3,4-g]quinoxaline-6,8(7H)-dione units, H. Li, T. M. Koh, A. Hagfeldt, M. Grätzel, S. G. Mhaisalkar, A. C. Grimsdale, Chem. Commun., 2013, 49, 2409.
Fluorescent networks of conjugated oligomers coordinated with Zn(II) ions under UV light
Research InterestsSynthesis of organic materials with electronic and/or optical properties for use in devices such as solar cells or batteries. Self-assembly as a route to functional materials.
63
HNG Huey HoonAssociate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ashhhng
Funded Research Projects
• Nano-Enhanced Thermoelectric Materials
• Engineering Hetero-nanojunctions for Energy Conversion
• High Density Reactive Structural Materials
Selected Publications
Li Ping Tan, Ting Sun, Shufen Fan, Ady Suwardi, Lay Yong Ng, Qingyu Yan, Huey Hoon Hng, “Facile Synthesis of Cu7Te
4 nanorods and the enhanced
thermoelectric properties of Cu7Te
4- Bi
0.4Sb
1.6Te
3 nanocomposites”, Nano Energy, Vol. 2, 2013, pp. 4-11.
Zheng, K.; Meng, F.; Jiang, L.; Yan, Q.; Hng, H. H.; Chen, X. “Visible Photoresponse of Single-Layer Graphene Decorated with TiO2 Nanoparticles” Small
2013, 9, 2076-2080.
Zhang, Y.; Tang, Y.; Liu, X.; Dong, Z.; Hng, H. H.; Chen, Z.; Sum, T. C.; Chen, X. “Three-Dimensional CdS-Titanate Composite Nanomaterials for Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution” Small 2013, 9, 996-1002.
Li Ping Tan; Ziyang Lu; Hui Teng Tan; Jixin Zhu; Xianhong Rui; Qingyu Yan; Huey Hoon Hng, “Germanium Nanowires-based Carbon Composite as Anodes for Lithium-ion Batteries”, Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 206, 2012, pp. 253-258.
Shufen Fan; Ting Sun; Xianhong Rui; Qingyu Yan; Huey Hoon Hng, “Cooperative Enhancement of Capacities in Nanostructured SnSb/Carbon Nanotube Network Nanocomposite as Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries”, Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 201, 2012, pp. 288-293.
Meng, F.; Hervault, Y.-M.; Norel, L.; Costuas, K.; Van Dyck, C.;Geskin, V.; Cornil, J.;Hng, H. H.; Rigaut, S.;Chen, X. “Photo-modulable Molecular Transport Junctions based on OrganometallicMolecular Wires” Chem. Sci. 2012, 3, 3113-3118.
Weiyun Zhao, Shufen Fan, Ni Xiao, Dayong Liu, Yee Yan Tay, Cui Yu, Daohao Sim, Huey Hoon Hng, Qichun Zhang, Freddy Boey, Jan Ma, Xinbing Zhao, Hua Zhang and Qingyu Yan, “Flexible carbon nanotube papers with improved thermoelectric properties”, Energy & Environmental Science, Vol. 5, 2012, pp. 5364-5369.
Zhou WW, Zhao WY, Lu ZY, Zhu JX, Fan SF, Ma J, Hng HH, Qan QY, “Preparation and Thermoelectric Properties of Sulfur Doped Ag2Te Nanoparticles via
Solvothermal Method”, Nanoscale, Vol. 4, 2012, pp. 3926-3931.
Dao Hao Sim, Xianhong Rui, Jing Chen, Huiteng Tan, Tuti Mariana Lim, Rachid Yazami, Huey Hoon Hng and Qingyu Yan, “Direct growth of FeVO4
nanosheet arrays on stainless steel foil as high-performance binder-free Li ion battery anode”, RSC Advances, 2012, pp. 3630 – 3633.
J.L. Cheng, H. H. Hng, Y.W. Lee, S.W. Du and N.N. Thadhani, “Kinetic study of thermal- and impact-initiated reactions in Al-Fe2O
3 nanothermite”,
Combustion and Flames, Vol. 157, 2010, pp. 2241-2249.
Research InterestsHer main research interest is in the understanding of processing-microstructure-property relationships of nanomaterials. The research covers a wide range of experimental analytical techniques such as electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Such techniques enable the characterization of nanometer scale phases and provide an in-depth understanding of the materials’ properties. Her current research area is the synthesis of inorganic materials using chemical and mechanical processing techniques. The materials of interest are thermoelectric, battery and energetic materials including metal alloys, intermetallics and functional ceramics.
Nano-Enhanced Thermoelectric Materials This project aims to study different multi-phased nanostructured materials to realize much enhanced thermoelectric (TE) performance that will be suitable for commercial applications
Engineering Hetero-nanojunctions for Energy Conversion
64
HU XiaoProfessor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/asxhu
Funded Research Projects
• Thermoplastics Flexible Risers
• Nano-Reinforcement of Polymers
• Hybrid Polymer Resins
• Polymers for Water Treatment
• Artificial Sports Surfaces
Selected Publications
Cai YF, Shen WM, WB Krantz, Fane AG, Wang R, Hu X, Dual Responsive Polymers as Draw Solutes for Forward Osmosis Desalination, CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS, 2013,49, 8377-8379.
Cai YF, Shen WM, Loo SL, Krantz WB, Wang R, Fane AG, Hu X, Towards temperature driven forward osmosis desalination using Semi-IPN hydrogels as reversible draw agents, WATER RESEARCH, 2013, 47(11), 3773–3781.
Loo SL; Fane AG; Lim TT; Krantz WB, Liang YN, Liu X, Hu X, Superabsorbent cryogels decorated with silver nanoparticles as a novel water technology for point-of-use disinfection, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. 47 (16), 9363–9371, 2013.
Liang YN, Yu K, Yan QY, Hu X, Colloidal CuInSe2 Nanocrystals from Gradient towards Homogeneous Alloyed Structure Moderated by Conducting
Polymer P3HT, ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 2013, 5(10), 4100-4106.
Xu XF, Cai P, Lu Y, Ng SC, Chen JW, Ong BS, Hu X, Synthesis of a Novel Low Bandgap Polymer Based on a Ladder-Type Heptacyclic Arene Consisting of Outer Thieno[3,2-b]thiophene Units for Efficient Photovoltaic Application, MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS, 2013, 34(8): 681-688.
Chaurasia A, Wang LB, Liang YN, Hu X, ‘Polymerothermal’ Synthesis: A Facile and Versatile Method towards Functional Nanocomposites, EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL, 2013, 49(3): 630-636.
Hu JH, Yu H, Gan LH, Hu X, Photo-driven pulsating vesicles from self-assembled lipid-like azopolymers, SOFT MATTER, 7:11345-11350, 2011.
Zhao L, Hu X, Curing Kinetics of Thermosetting Polymers: A New Model Based On Temperature Dependent Reaction Orders, POLYMER, 51(16): 3814-3820, 2010.
Foong TRB, Shen YD, Hu X, Sellinger A, Template-directed liquid ALD growth of TiO2 nano-tube arrays: properties and potential in photovoltaic devices,
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, 20(9): 1390 – 1396, 2010.
Foong TRB, Sellinger A, Hu X, Origin of the Bottlenecks in Preparing Anodized Aluminum Oxide (AAO) Templates on ITO, ACS NANO, 2(11): 2250-2256, 2008.
Fluorescent networks of conjugated oligomers coordinated with Zn(II) ions under UV light
Nano-silver/hydrogel for water disinfection
Research InterestsHis group focuses on studying the fundamental underlying principles and novel methodology for design, synthesis and processing of materials for targeted end uses. The materials of interest include functional polymers, nano-hybrids, nano-particles and nanocomposites. One objective is to understand the mechanisms and structural origin of the functional and structural properties of these materials.
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HUANG Yizhong Assistant Professor
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/yzhuang.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Advanced Chemical Looping Combustion for CO
2 Capture
• Development of Advanced Failure Analysis Techniques
• Semiconductor Nanoarray for a Novel Solar Cell
• A Rapid fabrication of Ordered Nanostructural Arrays
• Electro-deposition of Gold and Nickel films for Smart Card Application
• Corrosion and Electrochemical Behavior of Nano-sclae Metals in Aqueous Solutions
Selected Publications
Boluo Yadian, Hai Liu, Yuefan Wei, Junsheng Wu, Sen Zhang, Linfeng Sun, Chunwang Zhao, Qing Liu, Raju V. Ramanujan, Zhou Kun, Chee Lip Gan, and Yizhong Huang*. Towards Perfectly Ordered Novel ZnO/Si Nano-heterojunction Arrays. Small, 2013 (In press).
Zhaona Liu, Boluo Yadian, Hai Liu, Chao Liu, Bowei Zhang, R. V. Ramanujan, Yizhong Huang*. Fabrication of Hybrid CuO/Pt/Si Nanoarray for Non-enzymatic Glucose Sensing. Electrochemistry Communications, 2013 (In press and corrected proof available online).
Hai Liu, Boluo Yadian, Qing Liu, Chee Lip Gan, Yizhong Huang*. Hybrid nanostructure array for gas sensing with ultralow field ionization voltage. Nanotechnology, 24 (2013) 175301 (Featured article with front cover).
Hai Liu, Junsheng Wu, Ying Wang, Chee Lap Chow, Qing Liu, Chee Lip Gan, Xiaohong Tang, Rajdeep Singh Rawat, Ooi Kiang Tan, Jan Ma and Yizhong Huang*. Self-organization of Hybrid Nanonipple Structure Array. Small Volume 8, Issue 18, pages 2807–2811, September 24, 2012.
Junsheng Wu, Xiaogang Li, Boluo Yadian, Hai Liu, Bowei Zhang, Shurong Chun, Kun Zhou, Chee Lip Gan, Yizhong Huang*. Nano-scale Oxidation of Copper in Aqueous Solution. Electrochemistry Communications, 2012 (In press with proof available online).
Xiao Huang, Shaozhou Li, Yizhong Huang, Shixin Wu, Xiaozhu Zhou, Shuzhou Li, Chee Lip Gan, Freddy Boey, Chad A. Mirkin and Hua Zhang.Hexagonal Close Packed Au Nanostructures. Nature Communications, Volume: 2 Published: APR 2011.
Wu, Junsheng; Zhu, Bin; Mi, Youquan; Shih, Shao-Ju; Wei, Jun; Huang Yizhong*, A novel core-shell nanocomposite electrolyte for low temperature fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources Volume: 201 Pages: 164-168 Published: MAR 1 2012.
Huang, Xiao; Li, Shaozhou; Wu, Shixin; Huang, Yizhong; Boey, Freddy; Gan, Chee Lip; Zhang, Hua. Graphene Oxide-Templated Synthesis of Ultrathin or Tadpole-Shaped Au Nanowires with Alternating hcp and fcc Domains. Advanced Materials Volume: 24 Issue: 7 Pages: 979-+ Published: FEB 14 2012.
Karthik, K. R. G.; Mulmudi, H. K.; Jinesh, K. B.; Mathews, N.; Sow, C. H.; Huang, Y. Z. *; Mhaisalkar, S. G. Applied Physics Letters Volume: 99 Issue: 13 Published: SEP 26 2011.
Qi Xiaoying, Huang Yizhong*, Klapper Markus, Boey Freddy, Huang Wei, De Feyter, Steven Muellen Klaus, Zhang Hua. In Situ Modification of Three-Dimensional Polyphenylene Dendrimer-Templated CuO Rice-Shaped Architectures with Electron Beam Irradiation. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 114, 32: 13465-13470 AUG 19 2010.
Research Interests• Electrochemical corrosion of nanostructures• Ordered hybrid nanostructure arrays for photovoltaic cells, LEDs, sensors and transistors • Synthesis and characterization of MOF materials for gas capture, catalytic activity and batteries • Novel nanocomposites for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells• Self-lubricating nanocomposites for hard coatings • Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Focused Ion Beam (FIB).
Fig. 1. Hybrid ZnO/Si nano-heterojunction array Fig.2. Photoresponses of ZnO/Si nano-junction array to white light before and after heat-treatment
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Funded Research Projects
• Development of Massively Parallel Nanolithography for the Study of Stem Cells
HUO Fengwei Assistant Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/fwhuo/
Selected Publications
Lu, G.; Li, S.; Guo, Z.; Farha, O. K.; Hauser, B. G.; Qi, X.; Wang, Y.; Wang, X.; Han, S.; Liu, X.; DuChene, J. S.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, Q.; Chen, X.; Ma, J.; Joachim Loo, S. C.; Wei, D. W.; Yang, Y.; Hupp, J. T.; Huo, F. “Imparting functionality to a metal–organic framework material by controlled nanoparticle encapsulation” Nature Chemistry 2012, 4, 310-316.
Li, S. Z.; Shi, W. X.; Lu, G.; Li, S. Z.; Loo, S. C. J.; Huo, F. ”Unconventional Nucleation and Oriented Growth of ZIF-8 Crystals on Non-Polar Surface”, Advanced Materials, 2012, 24, 5954-5958.
Huo, F.; Zheng, G.; Liao, X.; Giam, L. R.; Chai, J.; Chen, X.; Shim, W.Y.; Mirkin, C. A. “Beam pen lithography” Nature Nanotechnology, 2010, 5, 637-640.
Chai, J.; Huo, F.; Zheng, Z.; Giam, L. R.; Shim, W.; Mirkin, C. A. “Scanning probe block copolymer lithography” PNAS, 2010, 107, 20202-20206.
Braunschweig, A. B.; Huo, F.; Mirkin, C. A. “Molecular Printing”, Nature Chemistry, 2009, 1, 353 – 358.
Huo, F., Zheng, Z., Zheng, G.; Giam, L. R.; Zhang H.; Mirkin, C. A. “Polymer Pen Lithography” Science, 2008, 321, 1658-1660.
Research Interests• Metal-Organic Framework Materials/Nanomaterials• Parallel Nanolithography
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Christian KLOC Professor
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/ckloc.aspx
Selected Publications
Ch.Kloc, P.G.Simpkins, T.Siegrist, and A.R.Laudise, „Physical Vapor Growth of Centimeter Sized Crystals of a-Hexathiophene“ J. Crystal Growth 182(1997)416-427.
H.E.Katz, A.J.Lovinger, J.Johnson, C.Kloc, T.Siegrist, W.Li, Y.-Y.Lin, A.Dodabalapur, “A soluble and air-stable organic semiconductor with high electron mobility” Nature 404(2000)478-481.
Hui Jiang Christian Kloc ’Single crystal growth of organic semiconductors’ MRS Bulletine 2013 January, p.28-33.
M. L. Toh, K. J. Tan, F. X. Wei, K. Zhang, H. Jiang and C. Kloc, ’Intercalation of Organic Molecules into SnS2 Single Crystals’ J Solid State Chemistry 2013,
198, 224-230.
C. Kloc, T. Siegrist, J. Pflaum ’Growth of Single Crystals of Organic Semiconductors’ in ’Springer Handbook of Crystal Growth’ editors: Govindhan Dhanaraj, Kullaiah Byrappa, Vishwanath Prasad, and Michael Dudley, Springer Verlag 2010, Chapter 25, pages 845-896.
Funded Research Projects
• Nanomaterials for Energy Management - Small band gap compound organic semiconductors
• Laser cooling of II-VI semiconductors
Crystal Picture 1: Anthracene Crystal Picture 2: Rubrene
Research Interests• The relationship between the chemical/molecular formula, crystalline structure, intrinsic physical properties, extrinsic
properties for applications• Crystal growth of commercially not available materials, design of instruments for crystal growth• Methods for characterization of quality, purity and defects in crystals• Material science, solid state chemistry and physics, organic and inorganic semiconductors, field effect transistors, photovoltaic
materials
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KONG Ling Bing Associate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/elbkong/
Funded Research Projects
• Newly microstructured mullite ceramics for multiple applications
Selected Publications
D. W. Luo, J. Zhang, C. W. Xu, H. Lin, H. Yang, H. Y. Zhu, G. D. Shao, D. Y. Tang and L. B. Kong, Mode-locked Yb:LuAG ceramics laser, Phys. Status Solidi (C), 10 [6], 967-968 (2013).
Q. W. Peng, J. Gan, S. F. Wang, L. B. Kong, G. R. Chen, Y. X. Yang and G. J. Huang, Controlled synthesis of amine-capped γ-Fe2O
3 nanoparticles by a one-step
process, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 52, 7713-7717 (2013).
L. B. Kong, Z. W. Li, L. Liu, R. Huang, M. Abshinova, Z. H. Yang, C. B. Tang, P. K. Tan, C. R. Deng and S. Matitsine, Recent progress in some materials and structures for specific electromagnetic applications, Intern. Mater. Rev., 58 [4], 203-259 (2013).
L. J. Tang, J. W. Wang, J. W. Zhai, L. B. Kong and X. Yao, Controllable-permittivity and high-tunability of Ba0.5
Sr0.5
TiO3/MgO based ceramics by composite
configuration, Appl. Phys. Lett., 102, 142907 (2013).
S. F. Wang, J. Zhang, D. W. Luo, F. Gu, D. Y. Tang, Z. L. Dong, G. E. B. Tan, W. X. Que, T. S. Zhang, S. Li and L. B. Kong, Transparent ceramics: processing, materials and applications, Prog. Solid State Chem., 41 [1-2], 20-54 (2013).
R. B. Wu, K. Zhou, Z. H. Yang, X. K. Qian, J. Wei, L. Liu, Y. Z. Huang, L. B. Kong, and L. Y. Wang, Molten-salt-mediated synthesis of SiC nanowires for microwave wave absorption applications, CrystEngComm, 15, 570-576 (2013).
Z. H. Yang, Z. W. Li, Y. H. Yang, L. Liu and L. B. Kong, Dielectric and magnetic properties of NiCuZn ferrite coated Sendust flakes through a sol-gel approach, J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 331, 232-236 (2013).
Z. W. Li, Z. H. Yang, L. B. Kong, and Y. J. Zhang, High-frequency magnetic properties at K and Ka bands for barium-ferrite/silicone composites, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 325 [1], 82-86 (2013).
Q. W. Zhang, J. W. Zhai, L. B. Kong and X. Yao, Investigation of ferroelectric phase transition for barium strontium titanate ceramics by in situ Raman scattering, J. Appl. Phys., 112 [12], 124112 (2012).
Research Interests• Engineering Ceramics• Functional Ceramics• Advanced Nanomaterials• Nanocomposites
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LAM Yeng MingAssociate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ymlam
Selected Publications
M. Ahmadi, S.S. Pramana, S.K. Batabyal, C. Boothroyd, S.G. Mhaisalkar and Y.M. Lam, Synthesis of Cu2SnSe
3 Nanocrystals for Solution Processable
Photovoltaic Cells, Inorganic Chemistry, 52, 1722-1728, 2013.
M. Ahmadi, S. Pramana, L. Xi, C. Boothroyd, Y.M. Lam, S. Mhaisalkar, Evolution Pathway of CIGSe Nanocrystals for Solar Cell Applications, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 116, 8202-8209, 2012.
T. Salim, Z. Yin, S. Sun, X. Huang, H. Zhang, Y.M. Lam, Solution-Processed Nanocrystalline TiO2 Buffer Layer Used for Improving the Performance of
Organic Photovoltaics, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 3, 1063–1067, 2011.
J.Y. Lek, L. Xi, B.E. Kardynal, L.H. Wong, Y.M. Lam, Understanding of the Effect of Surface Chemistry on Charge Generation and Transport in Poly (3-hexylthiophene)/CdSe Hybrid Solar Cells, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 3, 287–292, 2011.
G. Wee, T.Salim, Y.M. Lam, S. Mhaisalkar, M. Srinivasan, Printable photo-supercapacitor using single-walled carbon nanotubes, Energy and Environmental Science, 4, 413-416, 2011.
Z. Yin, S. Sun, T. Salim, S. Wu, X. Huang, Q. He, Y.M. Lam, H. Zhang, Organic photovoltaic devices using highly flexible reduced graphene oxide films as transparent electrodes, ACS Nano, 4(9), 5263-5268, 2010.
T. Salim, S. Sun, L.H. Wong, L. Xi, Y.L. Foo, Y.M. Lam, The Role of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Nanofibers in an All-Polymer Blend with a Polyfluorene Copolymer for Solar Cell Applications, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 114, 9459–9468, 2010.
L. Xi, Y.M. Lam, W.X.W. Tan, C. Boothroyd, Understanding and Controlling the Growth of Monodisperse CdS Nanowires in Solution, Chemistry of Materials, 20, 5444-5452, 2008.
W. L. Leong, P. S. Lee, A. P.C. Lohani, Y. M. Lam, T.P. Chen, S. Zhang, A. Dodabalapur, and S. Mhaisalkar, Non-volatile Organic Memory Applications enabled by in-situ synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles in a Self-assembled Block Copolymer, Advanced Materials, 20, 2325-2331, 2008.
Integration of Modelling at Various Length and Time Scales. McGrother S, Goldbeck-Wood G and Lam YM, Springer Lecture Notes Series in Physics Vol. 642, 2004.
Funded Research Projects
• CHALSOL - Chalcogenide solar cells of CZTS - Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide - A new, high-efficiency materials for low-tech solar cells of earth-abundant and environmentally friendly elements
• Towards Hybrid Devices for Energy Conversion
• Roll to Roll Manufacturing of Printed Electronics: Printed Photovoltaic
• Nanonets: New Materials, Devices for Integrated Energy Harnessing & Storage
• Chemical Synthesis & Surface Functionalization
Research InterestsYeng Ming has been working on the understanding and manipulation of the interaction energies and interface chemistry in order to enable successful synthesis of semiconducting nanocrystals and also nanostructuring of materials such as II-VI compounds, copolymers, conjugated polymers and small molecules. All these materials are applied in the field of solar energy harvesting in the form of organic, hybrid, thin film and dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells.
• Synthesis of nanomaterials (semi-conducting and metallic materials)• Understanding and controlling nanostructures (organic and inorganic nanostructures)
Understanding and controlling nanostructures (organic and inorganic nanostructures)
Synthesis of nanomaterials (semi-conducting and metallic materials)
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LEE Pooi See Associate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/pslee
Funded Research Projects
Energy Projects:
• Nanomaterials for Energy and Water
• Electrochromic materials and devices
• Multilayer polymer capacitors
• Wet chemical solution processing of electrochromics
• Borates for energy generation and management
• Ferroelectric graphene films for solar cells
Nanoelectronics Projects:
• In-situ heater for Imaging on Electronics
• Toward giant tunnelling electroresistance effect in organic ferroelectric tunnel junction memristors
• Tunnel junction resistive memory for memory integrated 3D IC
• Sensing layer for gas sensor application
• Light emission and photodetection
Selected Publications
A. Sumboja, C. Y. Foo, X. Wang, P. S. Lee*, “Large area mass, flexible and free-standing reduced graphene oxide/manganese dioxide paper for asymmetric supercapacitor device”, Adv. Mat. 25 (2013), 2809.
H. Jiang, P.S. Lee, C. Li, “3D carbon based nanostructures for advanced supercapacitors”, Energy Environ. Sci. 6 (2013), 41.
D.Y. Kusuma, P.S. Lee*, “Tunnel Junction Memory Devices made from Monolayers of Vinylidene Fluoride Oligomers”, Adv. Mat., 24 (2012), 4163.
J. Yan, L. Yan, M-F. Lin, J. Ma, X. Lu, P. S. Lee*, “Polydopamine spheres as active templates for convenient synthesis of various nanostructures”, Small 9 (2012), 596.
V.K. Thakur, G. Ding, J. Ma, P.S. Lee*, X. Lu*, “Hybrid materials and polymer electrolytes for electrochromic device applications”, Adv. Mat. 24 (2012), 401.
X. Wang, A. Sumboja, M-F. Lin, J. Yan, P. S. Lee*, “Enhancing electrochemical reaction sites in nickel cobalt layered double hydroxides: a hybrid material for an asymmetic supercapacitor”, Nanoscale 4 (2012), 7266.
T. V. Kumar, M-F. Lin, E. J. Tan, P. S. Lee*, “Green aqueous modification of fluoropolymers for energy storage applications”, J. Mat. Chem. 22 (2012), 5951.
A. Sumboja, U.M. Tefashe, G. Wittstock, P.S. Lee, “Monitoring electroactive ions at manganese dioxide pseudocapacitive electrode with scanning electrochemical microscope for supercapacitor electrodes”, Journal of Power Sources 207 (2012), 205.
H. Jiang, L. Yang, C. Li, P. S. Lee, J. Ma, “High-rate electrochemical capacitors from highly graphitic carbon tipped manganese oxide/mesoporous carbon/manganese oxide hybrid nanowires”, Energy & Env. Sci. 4 (2011), 1813.
J. Yan, A. Sumboja, E. Khoo, P. S. Lee*, “V2O
5 loaded SnO
2 nanowires for high-rate Li batteries”, Adv. Mat. 23 (2011), 746.
Research Interests• Low dimensional materials and devices for Energy and Electronics• Supercapacitors, Electrochromics • Ferroelectric memory• Piezoelectric energy harvester• Nanowire sensors• Light emission device• Functional coatings• Electrochemistry
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LI Shuzhou Assistant Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.g/home/lisz
Funded Research Projects
• Developing Nanoscale Laser for Imaging and Sensing
• Active Plasmonic Structures and Their Applications in Biosensing
• Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Drug Release from Stimuli-responsive Dendrimersomes
• Optical Properties of Metallic Aggregations in Array Structures
Selected Publications
Optimizing Electromagnetic Hotspots in Plasmonic Bowtie Nanoantennae, D. Dodson, M. Haggui, R. Bachelot, J. Plain, S. Li, Q. Xiong, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 4, 496, (2013).
C. Liusman, H. Li, G. Lu, J. Wu, F. Boey, S. Li, H. Zhang, Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering of Ag-Au Nanodisk Heterodimers, J. Phys. Chem. C 116, 10390, (2012).
J. Xiao, H. M. Duong, Y. Liu, W. Shi, L. Ji, G. Li, S. Li, X-W Liu, J. Ma, F. Wudl, Q. Zhang, Synthesis and Structure Characterization of a Stable Nonatwistacene, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51, 6094, (2012).
L. Jiang, Y Sun, F. Huo, H. Zhang, L. Qin, S. Li, and X. Chen, Free-standing One-dimensional Plasmonic Nanostructures, Nanoscale 4, 66, (2012).
X. Zhang, Z. Lu, D. Sim, S. Li, Y. Feng, J. Ma, H. Chen, F. Boey, H. H. Hng and Q. Yan, Controlled Synthesis of Ag/Ag/C Hybrid Nanostructures and their Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Properties, Chem. Eur. J. 17, 13386, (2011).
L. Jiang, Y Sun, C. Nowak, A. Kibrom, C. Zou, J. Ma, H. Fuchs, S. Li, L. Chi, and X. Chen, Patterning of Plasmonic Nanoparticles into Multiplexed One-Dimensional Arrays Based on Spatially Modulated Electrostatic Potential, ACS Nano 5, 8288, (2011).
X. Huang, S. Li, Y. Huang, S. Wu, X. Zhou, S. Li, C. L. Gan, F. Boey, C. A. Mirkin and H. Zhang, Synthesis of hexagonal close-packed gold nanostructures, Nat. Commun. 2, 292, (2011).
Y. Wang, G. Chen, M. Yang, G. Silber, S. Xing, L. H. Tan, F. Wang, Y. Feng, X. Liu, S. Li, and H. Chen, A Systems Approach towards the Stoichiometry-controlled Hetero-assembly of Nanoparticles, Nat. Commun. 1, 87, (2010).
S. Li, M. L. Pedano, S-H. Chang, C. A. Mirkin, and G. C. Schatz, Gap Structure Effects on Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Intensities for Gold Gapped Rods, Nano Lett. 10, 1722, (2010).
Research InterestsOur group is interested in exploring chemical and optical properties of nanomaterials by theoretical and computational tools. Currently, our group is focusing on three directions:
Developing high sensitive substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering and fluorescence;
Assembly of metallic nanostructures. Optical properties of metal-semiconductor nanostructures
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Bo LIEDBERG Professor Dean, Interdisciplinary Graduate School (IGS)
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/bliedberg.aspx / www.cbss.ntu.sg
Funded Research Projects
• Novel polymer hybrids for paper based biosensing applications
• Detection Of Gases Emitted By Plants For High Density Farming
Selected Publications
Palaniappan, Al., Goh, W.H., Fam, D.W.H., Rajaseger, G., Chan, C.E.Z., Hanson, B.J., Moochhala, S.M., Mhaisalkar, S.G., Liedberg, B., Label-free electronic detection of bio-toxins using aligned carbon nanotubes, Biosensors&Bioelectronics, 43, 143–147 (2013).
Yildiz, Umit Hakan; Sheng, Chia Wei; Mailepessov, Diyar; Geifman-Shochat, S., Liedberg, B., Real-time determination of the activity of ATPase by use of a water-soluble polythiophene, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 404 (8 ), 2369-2375 (2013).
Wang, Yusong; Aili, Daniel; Selegard, Robert; et al., Specific functionalization of CTAB stabilized anisotropic gold nanoparticles with polypeptides for folding-mediated self-assembly, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 22 (38), 20368-20373 (2012 ).
de Hoog, H.-P. M.; Nallani, M.; Liedberg, B.; A facile and fast method for the functionalization of polymerosomes by photoinduced cycloaddition chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, 3(2), 302-306 (2012).
Shahjamali, M. M.; Bosman, M.; Cao, S. W.; Huang, X.; Saadat, S. Martinsson, E.; Aili, D.; Tay, Y. Y.; Liedberg, B.; Loo, S. C. J.; Zhang, H.; Boey, F.; Xue, C., Gold Coating of Silver Nanoprisms. Advanced Functional Materials, 22 (4), 849-854 (2012).
Zhijuan Wang, Juan Zhang, Peng Chen, Xiaozhu Zhou, Yanli Yang, Shixin Wu, Li Niu, Yu Han, Lianhui Wang, Peng Chen, Freddy Boey, Qichun Zhang, Bo Liedberg, Hua Zhang, Label-free electrochemical detection of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus DNA with reduced graphene oxide electrodes, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 26(9), 15, 3881-3886(2011).
Yildiz, U.H.; Palaniappan, Al., Liedberg, Bo; Naked eye detection of Lung Cancer Associated miRNA by Paper based Biosensing Platform, Anal. Chem. 85, 820-824 (2013).
Research Interests• Soft Matter science, self-assemby, molecular films• Nanoscience, plasmonics, signal amplification• Molecular recognition, assay development, (bio)chemical sensing
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LONG Yi Lecturer
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/longyi
Funded Research Projects
• Development of cost effective thermochromic coatings for energy saving building
Selected Publications
Provincional patent:Y. Long & Ovadia. Lev, Smart thermochromic greenhouses with built in protection against overheating 2012, PAT/142/11/12/US PRV.
Y. Long & X. HU, New generation of smart window materials with large solar modulation and high luminance transmission. 2013.US Provisional Patent Application No 61/856,211.
N. Wang, Y.Z. Huang, S. Magdassi, D. Mandler, H. Liu and Y. Long, Formation of VO2 Zero-dimensional/Nanoporous Layers with Large Supercooling Effect
and Enhanced Thermochromic Properties, RSC Adv., 2013, DOI:10.1039/C3RA40370J.
C. Liu, N.Wang, & Y. Long, Multifunctional overcoats on vanadium dioxide thermochromic thin films with enhanced luminous transmission and solar modulation, self-cleaning and anti-oxidation, Applied Surface Science 2013, 10.1016/j.apsusc.2013.06.085.
X. Cao, N. Wang, S. Magdassi, D. Mandler, Y. Long, Europium Doped Vanadium Dioxide Material: Synthesis and Thermochromic Properties Science of Advanced Materials, invited for special issue on “Functional Nanomaterials for Energy Applications” in 2013.
N. Wang, S. Magdassi, D. Mandler and Y. Long, Simple sol–gel process and one-step annealing of vanadium dioxide thin films: Synthesis and thermochromic properties, Thin Solid Films, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2013.01.074.
The microstructure evolution with temperature increase from 550 to 750 oC and the corresponding optical transmission.
AFM image of antireflected samples with different periods: (a) 210 nm (b) 440 nm (c) 580 nm (d) 1000 nm. (e) AFM cross-sectional profile.
Research InterestsLong Yi is currently developing structures to give materials with a greater range of properties than is usually obtained. She is particularly interested in studying the thin films properties relating with energy saving, mechanical strength, anti-corrosion, and smart functions. Her main research area includes:
• Thermochromic coatings for smart window applications• Hybrid and multifunctional coatings on metal substrate
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LOO Say Chye JoachimAssociate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/joachimloo
Funded Research Projects
• Understanding the social, environmental and health impact of nanomaterials
• Artificial molecular wires/nanowires for enhancing bioelectronic performance
• Developing paclitaxel-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) particles as a treatment modality in breast cancer
• Development of novel remote bioelectrochemical detectors (BED) for sustainable water infrastructure
• Enhancing microbial redox metabolism for reductive transformations using TETMs
• TiO2 nanomaterials cause endothelial cell
leakiness
• Drug-releasing bioactive materials and adipose stem cells as autologous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
• PPARbeta/delta agonist GW501516 microparticles, with two release kinetics, on cutaneous wound healing in diabetic mice -a preclinical animal study
• Biodegradable cardiovascular implants: drug-eluting balloons
Selected Publications
Drug Delivery Systems (DS):PX Wee, WL Lee, SCJ Loo. Gastric-floating microcapsules provide controlled and sustained release of multiple cardiovascular drugs. Journal of Materials Chemistry B 2013. 1 (8), 1090-1095
VHB Ho, WM Guo, CL Huang, SF Ho, SY Chaw, EY Tan, KW Ng, SCJ Loo. Manipulating magnetic 3D spheroids in hanging drops for applications in tissue engineering and drug screening. Advanced Healthcare Materials 2013. DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201200408
WL Lee; P Yu; MJ Hong; E Widjaja; SCJ Loo. Designing multi-layered particulate systems for tunable drug release profiles. Acta Biomaterialia 2012. Vol. 8 (6): 2271-2278
MPA Lim, WL Lee, E Widjaja, SCJ Loo. One-step fabrication of core-shell structured alginate-plga/plla microparticles as a novel drug delivery system for water soluble drugs. Biomaterials Science 2013. Vol. 1: 486-493
CL Huang, TWJ Steele, E Widjaja, FYC Boey, SS Venkatraman, SCJ Loo. The influence of additives in modulating drug delivery and degradation of plga thin films. NPG Asia Material 2013.
Nanotoxicology (NT):MH Kathawala, SJ Xiong, M Richards, KW Ng, S George, SCJ Loo. Emerging in vitro models for safety screening of high volume production nanomaterials under environmentally relevant exposure. Small 2012. 9: 1504-1520
YL Wu, N Putcha, KW Ng, D Leong, CT Lim, SCJ Loo, XD Chen. Biophysical responses upon the interaction of nanomaterials with cellular interfaces. Accounts of Chemical Research 2013. Vol. 46 (3): 782–791
Harnessing Microbial Communities (MC):MC: VB Wang, J Du, XF Chen, A Thomas, N Kirchhofer, L Garner, MT Maw, WH Poh, J Hinks, S Wuertz, S Kjelleberg, QC Zhang, SCJ Loo, GC Bazan. Improving charge collection in escherichia coli–carbon electrode devices with conjugated oligoelectrolytes. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2013. Vol. 15 (16): 5867-5872.
Solar Fuels (SF):P Hu, SS Pramana, SW Cao, CK Ngaw, JD Lin, SCJ Loo, TTY Tan. Ions induced synthesis of uniform single crystalline sulphide-based quaternary alloy hexagonal nanorings for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Advanced Materials 2013. Vol. 25 (18): 2567–2572
PD Tran, LH Wong, J Barber, SCJ Loo. Recent advances in hybrid photocatalysts for solar fuel production. Energy & Environmental Science 2012. Vol. 5 (3): 5902 - 5918.
Figure 2 - Effect of nanomaterial concentration and shape on the hatching outcome of zebrafish embryos.
Figure 3 – (A) Spontaneous intercalation of conjugated oligoelectrolytes (i.e. TETMs) into bacterial cell membrane. (B) Incorporation of membrane-modified microbes in an MFC.
Figure 1 – Cross-section of dual-drug-loaded double-layered ternary-phase microparticle; (b) Confocal microscopy of dye-loaded, double-layered sub-micron particles (scale bar: 2µm); (c) Raman mapping showing distribution of polymers and drugs within the microparticle; (d) Release profiles of two different drugs from same microparticle showing sequential release.
Research Interests• Drug Delivery Systems (DS)• Nanotoxicology (NT)• Harnessing Microbial Communities (MC)• Solar Fuels (SF)
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LU XuehongAssociate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/asxhlu/
Funded Research Projects
• Wet Chemical Routes to Electrochromic Glass
• Toughened Nanocomposite Resins for Rigid Composite Riser with Thin Titanium Liner”
Selected Publications
S. L. Phua, L. Yang, C. L. Toh, G. Ding, S. K. Lau, A. Dasari, and X. Lu*, “Simultaneous Enhancements of UV Resistance and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene by Incorporation of Dopamine-Modified Clay”, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2013, 5, 1302.
L. Yang, J. Kong, W. A. Yee, W. Liu, S. L. Phua, C. L. Toh, S. Huang and X. Lu*, “Highly Conductive Graphene by Low-Temperature Thermal Reduction and In Situ Preparation of Conductive Polymer Nanocomposites”, Nanoscale 2012, 4, 4968.
S. L. Phua, L. Yang, C. L. Toh, S. Huang, Z. Tsakadze, S. K. Lau, Y-W. Mai, X. Lu*, “Reinforcement of Polyether Polyurethane with Dopamine-Modified Clay: The Role of Interfacial Hydrogen Bonding” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2012, 4, 4571.
W. Liu, K. L. Koh, J. Lu, L. Yang, S. L. Phua, J. Kong, Z. Chen, X. Lu, “Simultaneous catalyzing and reinforcing effects of imidazole-functionalized graphene in anhydride-cured epoxies”, J. Mater. Chem. 2012, 22, 18395.
D. Zhou, R. Zhou, C. Chen, W. A. Yee, J. Kong, G. Ding, X. Lu*, “Non-Volatile Polymer Electrolyte Based on Poly(propylene carbonate), Ionic Liquid and Lithium Perchlorate for Electrochromic Devices”, J. Phys. Chem. B 2013, 117, 7783.
V. Kumar, G. Ding, J. Ma*, P. S. Lee* and X. Lu*, “Hybrid materials and polymer electrolytes for electrochromic device applications”, Adv. Mater. 2012, 24, 4071.
J. Kong, Y. Wei, L. Yang, W. A. Yee, Y. Dong, R. Zhou, S. Y. Wong, L. Ke, X. W. Sun, H. Du, X. Li, X. Lu*, “Electrospinning-derived “hairy seaweed” and its photoelectrochemical properties”, J. Phys. Chem. C 2013, 117, 10106.
Y. Wei, J. Kong , L. Yang , L. Ke , H. R. Tan , H. Liu , Y. Huang, X. W. Sun , X. Lu* and H. Du*, “Polydopamine-assisted decoration of ZnO nanorods with Ag nanoparticles: an improved photoelectrochemical anode” J. Mater. Chem. A 2013, 1, 5045.
J. Kong, W. A. Yee, L. Yang, Y. Wei, S. L. Phua, H. G. Ong, J. M. Ang, X. Li, and X. Lu*, “Highly Electrically Conductive Layered Carbon Derived from Polydopamine and Its Functions in SnO
2-based Lithium Ion Battery Anodes”, Chem. Comm. 2012, 48, 10316 – 10318.
J. Kong, Z. Liu, Z. Yang, H. R. Tan, S. Xiong, S. Y. Wong, X. Li*, X. Lu*, “Carbon/SnO2/Carbon Core/Shell/Shell Hybrid Nanofibers: Tailored Nanostructure
for Anode of Lithium Ion Batteries with High Reversibility and Rate Capacity”, Nanoscale 2012, 4, 525.
Preparation of “hairy seaweed” by electrospinning & hytrothermal growth of ZnO
Photocurrent generation process from the “hairy seaweed”
Low-temperature thermal reduction of polydopamine-coated graphene oxide and in situ preparation of conductive polymer nanocomposites
Ionic liquid-based gel electrolyte and visible absorbance spectra of the electrochromic devices with the electrolyte.
Morphology of the “hairy seaweed”
Research Interests• Polymer nanocomposites and organic-inorganic hybrid materials• Electrochromic materials and ionic liquid-based electrolytes • Electrospinning of functional polymers and polymer nanocomposites
76
Subodh G. MHAISALKAR ProfessorExecutive Director, Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) [email protected]
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/subodh.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Nanonets: New Materials, Devices for Integrated Energy Harnessing & Storage
• Printed Electronics: Printable electronic circuits for OLED backplane
Selected Publications
Kim, H. S.; Lee, J. W.; Yantara, N.; Boix, P. P.; Kulkarni, S. A.; Mhaisalkar, S.; Gratzel, M.; Park, N. G. Nano Letters 2013, 13, 2412.
Wang, X.; Kulkarni, S. A.; Ito, B. I.; Batabyal, S. K.; Nonomura, K.; Wong, C. C.; Gratzel, M.; Mhaisalkar, S. G.; Uchida, S. Acs Appl Mater Inter 2013, 5, 444.
Sabba, D.; Mathews, N.; Chua, J.; Pramana, S. S.; Mulmudi, H. K.; Wang, Q.; Mhaisalkar, S. G. Scripta Mater 2013, 68, 487.
Li, H. R.; Koh, T. M.; Hagfeldt, A.; Gratzel, M.; Mhaisalkar, S. G.; Grimsdale, A. C. Chemical Communications 2013, 49, 2409.
Li, F.; Jennings, J. R.; Wang, Q.; Chua, J.; Mathews, N.; Mhaisalkar, S. G.; Moon, S. J.; Zakeeruddin, S. M.; Gratzel, M. Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2013, 117, 10980.
Baikie, T.; Fang, Y. N.; Kadro, J. M.; Schreyer, M.; Wei, F. X.; Mhaisalkar, S. G.; Graetzel, M.; White, T. J. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2013, 1, 5628.
Yantara, N.; Mathews, N.; Jinesh, K. B.; Mulmudi, H. K.; Mhaisalkar, S. G. Electrochimica Acta 2012, 85, 486.
Nguyen, L. H.; Mulmudi, H. K.; Sabba, D.; Kulkarni, S. A.; Batabyal, S. K.; Nonomura, K.; Gratzel, M.; Mhaisalkar, S. G. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2012, 14, 16182.
Gui, E. L.; Kang, A. M.; Pramana, S. S.; Yantara, N.; Mathews, N.; Mhaisalkar, S. Journal of the Electrochemical Society 2012, 159, B247.
Fu, K.; Sun, C.; Mathews, N.; Mhaisalkar, S. G. Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Letters 2012, 4, 733.
Research InterestsPrinted electronics, sensors, organic photovoltaics, and printed charge storage solutions including supercapacitors and batteries.
77
Ali MISEREZNanyang Assistant Professor & NRF Fellow
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ali.miserez/
Funded Research Projects
• Biomimetic-Based Antifouling Coatings as a Route to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Ships and Port Structures
• Potential Marine Antifouling Agents: Synthesis and Formulation of Novel Halogenated Cyclopent-2-Ones
• Bio-Inspired and Biomimetic Materials
• Testin, a Focal Adhesion Protein: Mechanical, Structural, and Dynamical Properties
• Self-Assembly Mechanisms of a 3D Protein-Based Robust Marine Biopolymer
• Development of Adhesive Mimics for Anti-Fouling Coatings and Adhesion Testing in the Marine Environment
Selected Publications
Accelerating the Design to Biomimetic Materials by Integrating RNA-seq with Proteomics and Materials Science, Nature Biotechnology, 2013 (in press).
Phase Transition-Induced Elasticity of α-helical Bioelastomeric Fibres and Networks. Chemical Society Review, Vol. 42 pp. 1973-1995, 2013. (Inside cover article).
Layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte deposition and complex coacervation: new mechanisms for processing biocomposite materials. Biomacromolecules, vol. 14, pp. 1715-1726, 2013
Wear and Abrasion Resistance Selection Maps of Biological Materials, Acta Biomateriala, 2013 vol. 9, pp. 7895-7907, 2013.
The Stomatopod Dactyl Club: A Formidable Damage-Tolerant Biological Hammer, Science, vol. 336, pp. 1275-1280, 2012.
Cross-linking Chemistry of Dosidicus Beaks. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 285, pp. 38115-38124, 2010. (Cover article).
Non-Entropic and Reversible Long Range Deformation of an Encapsulating Bioelastomer, Nature Materials, vol.8, pp. 910-916, 2009.
Microstructural and Biochemical Characterization of the Nano-porous Sucker Rings from Dosidicus gigas, Advanced Materials, vol. 21. pp .401-406, (2009) (cover article).
The Transition from Stiff to Compliant Materials in Squid Beaks, Science, vol. 319, pp. 1816-1819, 2008.
Effects of Laminate Architecture on Fracture Resistance of Sponge Biosilica: Lessons from Nature, Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 18, pp. 1-8, (2008) (Inside cover article).
Research InterestsIomimetic and bioinspired materials, structural protein biochemistry, protein- and genetic engineering, extra-cellular tissue transcriptomic, natural polymer chemistry, biomimetic peptide design, biophysics, nanomechanics of functional and structural materials, impact- and wear resistant biomineralized materials, biofouling and natural adhesives.
78
NG Kee Woei Assistant Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/kwng
Funded Research Projects
• Development of Poly(ethylene glycol)-Keratin Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications
• A Feasibility Study of Keratin as a Tissue Regeneration Template for Chronic Wounds
Selected Publications
Sow WT, Lui YS, Ng KW. Electrospun Human Keratin Matrices as Templates for Tissue Regeneration. Nanomedicine 8(4):531-41. 2013.
Setyawati MI, Tay CY, Chia SL, Goh SL, Fang W, Neo MJ, Chong HC, Tan SM, Loo SC, Ng KW, Xie JP, Ong CN, Tan NS, Leong DT. TiO2 Nanomaterials Cause
Endothelial Cell Leakiness by Disrupting the Homophillic Interaction of VE-cadherin. Nature Communications 4:1673. 2013.
Zhao Y, Howe JLC, Yu Z, Leong DT, Chu JJH, Loo JSC and Ng KW. Exposure to Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Induces Autophagy in Primary Human Keratinocytes. SMALL 9(3):387-92. 2013.
Low YKA, Tan LY, Tan LP, Boey FYC, Ng KW. Increasing Solvent Polarity and Addition of Salts Promote β-phase Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride) Formation. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 128(5):2902-2910. 2013
Setyawati MI, Khoo PKS, Eng BH, Xiong S, Zhao X, Das GK, Tan TTY, Loo JSC, Leong DT, Ng KW. Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Characterization of Titanium Dioxide, Gadolinium Oxide and Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles in Human Fibroblasts. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part A 101(3):633-640. 2013
Taraballi F, Wang S, Li J, Lee FYY, Venkatraman SS, Birch WR, Teoh SH, Boey FYC, Ng KW. Understanding the Nano-topography Changes and Cellular Influences Resulting from the Surface Adsorption of Human Hair Keratins. Advanced Healthcare Materials 1(4):513-519. 2012
Wang S, Taraballi F, Tan LP, Ng KW. Human Keratin Hydrogels Support Fibroblast Attachment and Proliferation In Vitro. Cell and Tissue Research 347(3):795-802. 2012.
Ng KW, Khoo SP, Heng BC, Setyawati MI, Tan EC, Zhao XX, Xiong SJ, Fang WR, Leong DT and Loo SC. The role of the tumor suppressor p53 pathway in the cellular DNA damage response to zinc oxide nanoparticles. Biomaterials 32(32): 8218-8225. 2011.
Heng BC, Zhao XX, Tan EC, Khamis N, Assodani A, Xiong SJ, Ruedl C, Ng KW, Loo JSC. Evaluation of the cytotoxic and inflammatory potential of differentially-shaped zinc oxide nanoparticles. Archives of Toxicology 85(12):1517-1528. 2011.
Low YKA, Meenubharathi N, Niphadkar ND, Boey FYC, Ng KW. α and β Poly (vinylidene fluoride) Evoke Different Cellular Behaviors. Journal of Biomaterials Science - Polymer Edition 22(12):1651-1667. 2011
A) Macroscopic view of a keratin hydrogel sample.
B) Macroscopic view of a porous keratin sponge.
C) Scanning electron micrograph of an electrospun keratin matrix.
D) Fluorescent microscopy image showing viable human fibroblasts (green) forming a network on an electrospun keratin matrix.
E) Histological analysis (H&E) showing mouse fibroblasts penetrating into a keratin hydrogel sample after 6 days of culture in vitro.
Human hair is readily available and abundant. By processing human hair into useful forms we have the possibility to recycle a largely untapped and free natural material. Human hair is mainly made up of keratins. These are intermediate filament proteins with high proportions of cysteine-rich regions, giving rise to large numbers of disulphide bonds which account for much of the strength of hair. Besides being abundant, hair keratins are attractive as a raw material for biomedical applications because they are degradable and they contain cell adhesion motifs.
In these projects, we are focusing our efforts on the optimization of fabricating various templates including fibers, gels and porous sponges from human hair extracted keratins. Each template can serve as a biomaterial platform for developing applications in cell culture, tissue regeneration or drug delivery. Our results have demonstrated the feasibility of such an approach and showed that these templates are cell compliant.
Research Interests• Development of keratin based templates for biomedical applications• Cell-nanomaterial interactions for Nanotoxicology research and Nanomedicine applications
79
OH Joo Tien Associate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/asjtoh/
Selected Publications
J. Li, S. N. Tan and J. T. Oh, ‘Silica sol-gel immobilised amperometric enzyme electrode for peroxide determination in the organic phase’, J. of Electroanalytical Chemistry, U.K., Vol. 448, 1998, pp. 69 – 77.
Fang Xiangyi, Wu Mintang, Peter Hing, J. T. Oh, Yung K.C., ‘Structure and Micro-structure of HIP deduced TiO2 ceramics’ J of XianJiaotong Univ., Vol 35,
No. 10, 2001, pp. 1085 – 1088.
Yanping Shen, Huey Hoon Hng, Joo Tien Oh, ‘Synthesis and characterization of high energy ball milled Ni-15%Fe-5%Mo’, J. Alloys and Compounds’, Vol. 379, Issues 1-2, 2004, pp. 266-271.
Fang Xiangyi and Oh, JT, ‘Microstructure and Microstructure and electrical properties of Nb2O
5 doped titanium dioxide’, Mat. Sci. & Eng. B, Vol. 136, 2007,
pp. 15 – 19.
Choo KS, Gheisari K and Oh JT, ‘Structure and Magnetic Properties of Nanostructured Ni0.77
Fe0.16
Cu0.05
Cr0.02
(Mumetal) powders prepared by mechanical alloying’, Mat Sci & Eng B, Vol. 157 (1 – 3 ) 2009, pp. 53 – 57.
Gheisary K, Javadpour S, Oh J T and Ghaffari, M, ‘The effect of Milling Speed on the Structural Properties of Mechanically Alloyed Fe-45%Ni Powders’, Journal of Alloys and Compounds’, 472(1 -2) 2009, pp. 416 – 420.
Gheisary K, Javadpour S and Oh J T, ‘The effect of Milling Speed on the Magnetic Properties of Mechanically Alloyed Fe-45%Ni Powders’, J. Phys: Conf Series, Vol. 153, No. 1, 2009, pp. 012051.
Gheisary K, Javadpour S and Oh J T, ‘The effect of heat treatment on the structure and magnetic properties of mechanically alloyed Fe-45%Ni nanostructured powders’, Journal of Alloys and Compounds’, 509(3) 2011, pp. 1020 – 1024.
Y. X. Tang, J. Tao, Z. L. Dong, J. T. Oh, Z. Chen “Formation of micro-meter-long TiO2 nanotube arrays by anodization of titanium film on conducting glass
substrate”, Advances in Natural Sciences: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2011, Vol. 2, Art. No. 045002.
Gheisary K, Javadpour S and Oh J T, ‘Comparative Studies on the Structure and Magnetic Properties of Ni-Zn Ferrite Powders Prepared by Glycine-Notrate Auto-Combustion Process and Solid State Reaction Method’, J Supersonductivity and Novel Magnetisa, Vol 26(2) 2013 pp. 477-483.
Research Interests• Photocatalysis and Photocatalytic Materials• Materials Characterisation with Electron Microscopy• TEM Image simulation• Magnetic Materials
80
Raju V RAMANUJANAssociate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ramanujan/
Funded Research Projects
• Magnetofluidic Spreading,
• Caloric Materials
• Electric Ships using Magnetocaloric Systems
Selected Publications
S. Shukla, P.K. Dehri and R.V. Ramanujan, Magnetic nanomaterials, Invited Encyclopedia Chapter, Springer Handbook of Nanomaterials, R. Vajtai (ed.) (2013).
S. Shukla, D.T. Wu, H. Ramanarayan, D. Srolovitz and R.V. Ramanujan, Nanocrystallization in driven amorphous materials, Acta Mater., 61, 3242-3248 (2013).
V. Swaminathan, P.K.Deheri, S.D. Bhame and R.V.Ramanujan, Novel microwave assisted synthesis of Nd2Fe
14B hard magnetic nanoparticles, Nanoscale, 5,
2718-2725 (2013).
V.Q. Nguyen, A.S. Ahmed and R.V. Ramanujan, Morphing soft magnetic composites, Adv. Mater., 24, 4041-4054 (2012).
S. Kayal, D. Bandyopadhyay, T. Mandal and R.V. Ramanujan, Flow of magnetic nanoparticles in magnetic drug targeting, RSC Advances, 1, 238- 246 (2011).
J.Y. Law, V. Franco and R.V. Ramanujan, Influence of La and Ce additions on the magnetocaloric effect of Fe-B-Cr based amorphous alloys, Appl. Phys. Lett., 98, 192503 (2011).
P.K.Deheri, V. Swaminathan, S.D.Bhame, Z.W. Liu and R.V.Ramanujan, Sol-gel based chemical synthesis of Nd2Fe
14B hard magnetic nanoparticles, Chem.
Mater., 22, 6509–6517 (2010).
S. Purushotham and R.V. Ramanujan, Thermoresponsive magnetic composite nanomaterials for multimodal cancer therapy, Acta Biomater., 6, 502-510 (2010).
R.S. Chaughule and R.V. Ramanujan (eds.), Nanoparticles, American Scientific Publishers, USA, ISBN: 1-58883-180-9, 420 pages (2010).
S. Purushotham, P.E.J. Chang, S. Purushotham, H. Rumpel, I.H.C. Kee, R.T.H. Ng, P.K.H. Chow, C.K. Tan and R.V. Ramanujan, Thermoresponsive core-shell magnetic nanoparticles for combined modalities of cancer therapy, Nanotechnology, 20, 305101 (2009).
Temporal evolution of magnetic fluid flow
Nd-Fe-B hard magnetic nanoparticles prepared by chemical syntheis techniques
Magnet-Polymer self healing, self sensing soft transducers
Biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles
Giant magnetocaloric effect in Heusler alloys
Research InterestsNanomaterials. Magnetic nanomaterials for energy, bioengineering and transducer applications. Multifunctional Materials. High temperature structural materials. Phase transformations. Electron microscopy.
81
SHEN Zexiang Professor
http://www1.spms.ntu.edu.sg/~zexiang / http://cdpt.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/Home.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies
• Investigation of Nano-Structures and Devices using Novel Near-Field Imaging
• Development of Sub Diffraction Limit Spatial Resolution of Raman Spectroscopy by Means of Near-Field Enhancement by the Photonic Nanojets Produced by Dielectric Microspheres
• Optical Nanoscopy and Study Of Nano-Materials Devices
• Effects of Strains/Stress on Quantum Dots and Nano-Devices
• Near-Field Scanning Raman Microscopy and Development of Femto-Second Laser with Stabilized Broadband Frequency Comb
Research Interests• Graphene composite materials for energy storage, Li ion batteries and supercapacitors• Spectroscopy of graphene and 2D materials• Nano photonics and plasmonics • Super resolution microscopy
Selected Publications
D. Zhan, L. Sun, Z. H. Ni, L. Liu, X. F. Fan, Y. Y. Wang, T. Yu, Y. M. Lam, W. Huang, Z. X. Shen, FeCl3-Based Few-Layer Graphene Intercalation
Compounds: Single Linear Dispersion Electronic Band Structure and Strong Charge Transfer Doping, 20 (2010) Advanced Functional Materials 3504.
ZH Ni, HM Wang, J Kasim, HM Fan, T Yu, YH Wu, YP Feng, ZX Shen, Graphene thickness determination using reflection and contrast spectroscopy, Nano Letters 7 (2007) 2758.
D Zhan, L Liu,YN Xu,ZH Ni, JX Yan, C Zhao, ZX Shen, Low temperature edge dynamics of AB-stacked bilayer graphene: Naturally favored closed zigzag edges, Scientific Report, 1 (2011)12.
Wenjing Zhang, Jiaxu Yan, Chang-Hsiao Chen, Liu Lei, Jer-Lai Kuo, Zexiang Shen & Lain-Jong Li, Molecular adsorption induces the transformation of rhombohedral- to Bernal-stacking order in trilayer graphene, NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 4:2074 (2013).
L. F. Lai, J. R. Potts, D. Zhan, L. Wang, C. K. Poh, C. H. Tang, H. Gong, Z. X. Shen, L. Y. Jianyi and R. S. Ruoff, ‘Exploration of the active center structure of nitrogen-doped graphene-based catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction’. Energy & Environmental Science 5 (7), 7936-7942 (2012).
L. F. Lai, H. P. Yang, L. Wang, B. K. Teh, J. Q. Zhong, H. Chou, L. W. Chen, W. Chen, Z. X. Shen, R. S. Ruoff and J. Y. Lin, ‘Preparation of Supercapacitor Electrodes through Selection of Graphene Surface Functionalities’. Acs Nano 6 (7), 5941-5951 (2012).
C. L. Du, , Y. M. You, T. Chen, Y. Zhu, H. L. Hu, D. N. Shi, H. Y. Chen, and Z. X. Shen, ‘Individual Ag Nanowire Dimer for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering’. Plasmonics, 6(2011), 761-766.
Y. M. You, N. A. Purnawirman, H. L. Hu, J. Kasim, H. P. Yang, C. L. Du, T. Yu, Z. X. Shen, ‘Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using single-crystalline Ag nanowire as tip’, Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 41 (2010), 1156-1162.
C. L. Du, Y. M. You, K. Johnson, H. L. Hu, X. J. Zhang, Z. X. Shen, ‘Near-field Coupling Effect between Individual Au Nanospheres and their Supporting SiO
2/Si Substrate’, Plasmonics, 5 (2010), 105-109.
C. L. Du, Y. M. You, X. J. Zhang, J. Kasim, Z. X. Shen, ‘Polarization-Dependent Confocal Imaging of Individual Ag Nanorods and Nanoparticles’, Plasmonics, 4 (2009), 217-222.
J. Kasim, T. Yu, Y.M. You, J.P. Liu, A.K.H. See, L.J. Li and Z. X. Shen, ‘Near-field Raman imaging using optically trapped dielectric micro sphere’, Optics Express, 16 7976 (2008).
82
Madhavi SRINIVASAN Associate Professor
http://webserver.mse.ntu.edu.sg/homepages/madhavi/index.html
Funded Research Projects
• Redox flow lithium batteries as a new concept and implementable solution for large scale energy storage
• Electrochemistry and charge storage concepts for electric vehicle
• Nanonets-New materials, architectures for energy harnessing and storage devices
• Roll to Roll Printing of charge storage devices
• Combined Energy Generation and Storage
• High Reliability, long cycle life, low cost lithium ion batteries for green energy storage application
• Beyond lithium ion batteries- Fluoride ion batteries
• Carbon nanotubes enabled printed power (Basic science for integration with MEMS devices
• Printed power enabled active RFID tags
Selected Publications
Jayaraman Sundaramurthy, Vanchiappan Aravindan, Palaniswamy Suresh Kumar, Wong Chui Ling, Seeram Ramakrishna, Srinivasan Madhavi, “Synthesis of porous LiMn
2O
4 hollow nanofibers by electrospinning with extraordinary lithium storage properties”, Chem. Comm. 49 (2013) 6677.
Zhang Lei, Wu Hao Bin, , Hng Huey Hoon, Srinivasan, Madhavi, Lou Xiong Wen Formation of Fe2O
3 Microboxes with Hierarchical Shell Structures from
Metal-organic Frameworks and Their Lithium Storage Properties, Journal of the American Chemical Society 134 (2012) 17388.
Wang Zhiyu, Madhavi Srinivasan, David Lou, Assembling carbon-coated α-Fe2O
3 hollow nanohorns on the CNT backbone for superior lithium storage
capability, Energy and Environmental Science 5 (2012) 5252.
Linlin Li, Shengjie Peng, Yanling Cheah, Jin Wang, Peifen Teh, Yahwen Ko, Chuiling Wong and Madhavi Srinivasan, Electrospun eggroll-like CaSnO3
nanotubes with high lithium storage performance, Nanoscale, 2013, 5 ,134.
Vanchiappan Aravindan, Joe Gnanaraj, Hua-Kun Liu, Srinivasan Madhavi, LiMnPO4- A next generation cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, Journal
of Materials Chemistry A 1 (2013) 3518.
(Top) Coin cell, pouch cell, printable flexible batteries/ supercapacitors fabricated in our group (Bottom) Nanomaterial oxides synthesized and electrochemical device studies.
Research Interests• Electrochemical energy storage devices such as batteries/supercapacitors for renewable energy storage and EVs.• Flexible and printable charge storage devices • New improved cathode/anode and electrolytes materials for high performance lithium ion batteries• Advanced materials and concepts for next generation batteries including on metal-air, sodium/fluoride ion, Lithium-sulfur.• Fundamental understanding of electrochemical processes in charge storage system
83
Thirumany SRITHARAN Associate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/assritharan/
Funded Research Projects
• Singapore-Berkeley Research Initiative for Solar Energy-SINBERISE
• Carbon Nanotube Grafting on Carbon Fibres to Improve Interface Strength and Other Properties
Selected Publications
“Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution of TiO2 via Formation of Quasi-Hetero-Junctions”, Materials Chemistry A, under review.
“Chemically and uniformly grafting carbon nanotubes on to carbon fibres by poly-(amidoamine) for enhancing interfacial strength in carbon fibre composites”, Journal of Materials Chemistry, Vol 22(13), 2012, pp 5928-5931.
“Magneto-optical Kerr effect investigation on magnetoelectric coupling in ferromagnetic/antiferroelectric multilayer thin film structures”, Applied Physics Letters, Vol 101(17), paper no 172905, 22 October 2012.
“Ferroelastic strain induced antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transformation in multilayer thin film structures”, Advanced Functional Materials, Vol 22 (19), 10 October 2012, pp 4159-4164.
“Coexistence of Ferroelectric Triclinic Phases in Highly Strained BiFeO3 Films”, Physical Review B, Vol 84(9), paper no 094116, 1st September 2011 .
“Low Symmetry Monoclinic Phases and Polarization Rotation Path Mediated by Epitaxial Strain in Multiferroic BiFeO3 Thin Films”, Advanced Functional
Materials, Vol 21(1), 7 Jan 2011, pp 133-138.
Thin film gold-aluminum interface interactions, Scripta Materialia, Vol 56, pp 549-552, 2007.
Effects of dissolved nitrogen in improving barrier properties of ruthenium, Applied Physics Letters, Vol 88 No 4, 23 January 2006, paper no 044101, 2006.
Interface Reaction between copper and molten tin-lead solders, Acta Materialia, Vol. 49, No. 13, pp 2481 – 2489, 2001.
Research Interests• Photovoltaics and solar energy conversion to electricity and fuel using new materials and structures• Structure property correlation in perovskite films with ferroelectric/magnetoelectric order• Multiscale reinforcement of carbon fiber composites using carbon nanotubes and graphene• Materials interfaces in electronics circuits and packages
Photovoltaics and solar energy conversion to electricity and fuel using new materials and structures
Structure property correlation in perovskite films with ferroelectric/magnetoelectric order
Multiscale reinforcement of carbon fiber composites using carbon nanotubes and graphene
84
• On-Demand, Event Activated Soft-Tissue Bioadhesives
Current methods of tissue fixation leave much to be desired, essentially relying on technologies developed from the clothing and carpentry industries i.e. sutures, screws, and pins. Bioadhesives offer a less traumatizing method of tissue fixation and hence are a needed tool in the clinic. Our group is researching novel bioadhesive strategies that allows application in wet environments, and an on-demand adhesive mechanism. On-demand adhesion would allow flexibility in method placement and take advantage of less invasive surgical technologies, for example balloon catheters and laparoscopic (keyhole) surgeries.
• Tuning Thin Film Drug Delivery Through Gradients And Light-Activation
Current implanted drug delivery devices have a fixed delivery profile—no modulation is possible once implanted—this includes osmotic pumps, chemically controlled systems (biodegradable), and diffusional polymer matrices. Ideally, one would like to tailor drug delivery based on biological feedback and therapeutic index. We are currently developing photo-responsive drug delivery systems that have the following inherent qualities: 1) zero order release, 2) NIR light activation, 3) clean photolysis with no toxic degradation products, and 4) precise external excitation that allows feedback.
Terry W.J. STEELE Assistant Professor
http://www.labsteele.com
Funded Research Projects
• Tailored Soft-Tissue Bioadhesives for Site-Specific Therapy
• Rapid Development of Biocompatible Surfaces Through Acrylate Combinatorial Libraries
• Development of Sustained Release Ganciclovir Implant for Treatment of CMV Retinitis in HIV-AIDS Patients
Selected Publications
Chaw, SY., Mogal, V. Venkatraman, SS., Steele, TWJ. Plasma Post-Treatments Allow Both Tunable Drug Release and Soft Tissue Bioadhesion on Polyester Films. In Press, submitted to Acta Biomaterials (2013).
Steele, TWJ., Huang, CL., Kumar S., Iskandar, A., Aw, BX., Boey, F., Loo, JSC., Venkatraman, SS. Tuning drug release in polyester thin films: Terminal end-groups determine specific rates of additive-free controlled drug release. Nature Asia Materials (2013) 5, e46; doi:10.1038/am.2013.9.
Huang, CL., Kumar S., Boey, F., Venkatraman, SS., Steele, TWJ., Loo, JSC. Modulating drug release from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) films through terminal end-groups and molecular weight. 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2012.11.012 Polymer Degradation and Stability.
Steele, TWJ., Huang, CL., Nguyen, E., Sarig, U., Kumar S., Widjaja, E., Loo, JSC., Machluf, M., Boey, F., Venkatraman, SS. Corresponding Author. Collagen-cellulose composite thin films that mimic soft-tissue and allow stem-cell orientation. J. of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine DOI: 10.1007/s10856-013-4940-3.
Steele, TWJ., Huang, CL., Kumar S., Irvine, S., Boey, F.,Loo JSC., Venkatraman, SS. Novel gradient casting method provides high throughput assessment of blended PLGA thin films for parameter optimization. Acta Biomater. 2012 Jul;8(6):2263-70.
Steele, TWJ., Kissel, T. Factors influencing polycation/siRNA colloid stability towards aerosol lung delivery. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2012 Jan;80(1):14-24.
Steele, TWJ., Huang, CL., Kumar, S., Widjaja, E., Loo JSC., Venkatraman, SS. High-throughput screening of PLGA thin films utilizing hydrophobic fluorescent dyes for hydrophobic drug compounds. J Pharm Sci 100:4317–4329, 2011.
Steele, TWJ., Huang, CL., Widjaja, E., Loo JSC., Venkatraman, SS. The effect of polyethylene glycol structure on paclitaxel drug release and mechanical properties of PLGA thin films. Acta Biomater. 2011 May;7(5):1973-83.
By tuning the ratios of acid and ester terminal end-groups, degradation of polyester thin films and subsequent drug release can be tightly controlled. Photochemical nanotechnology within the polyester matrix may allow drug release though light-based mechanisms.
By employing carbene-based surface chemistry, on-demand adhesion may be possible in wet environments that would normally foul most other adhesion mechanisms.
Research Interests
85
SU Haibin Associate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/hbsu
Funded Research Projects
• Advanced Optics in Engineering
• Research and Development of Novel Interfacial Water Technologies
Selected Publications
X.P. Yang and H.B. Su, “Electronic reconstruction and surface two-dimensional electron gas in a polarized heterostructure with a hole-doped single copper-oxygen plane”, Phys. Rev. B 87, 205116 (2013).
Y.X. Zhao, F. Zhou, H.C. Zhou, and H.B. Su,“The structural and bonding evolution in cysteine–gold cluster complexes”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 15, 1690 (2013).
X. Zhu and H.B. Su, “Scaling of Excitons in Graphene Nanoribbons with Armchair Shaped Edges” J. Phys. Chem. A 115, 11998 (2011).
A. Sorkin, B. Tay, and H.B. Su “Three-Stage-Transformation Pathway from Nanodiamonds to Fullerenes”, J. Phys. Chem. A 115, 8327 (2011).
X. Zhu and H.B. Su, “Excitons of Edge and Surface Functionalized Graphene Nanoribbons”, J. Phys. Chem. C 114, 17257 (2010).
Research InterestsDevelopment and application of theoretical and computational materials science; Quantum-mechanical, classical simulations and modeling of the electronic, structural, energetic and dynamical properties of functional materials; Emergent collective properties of condensed matter systems, in particular, at nanometer scales.
Advanced Optics in Engineering
Research and Development of Novel Interfacial Water Technologies”
86
TAN Lay PohAssociate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/lptan/
Funded Research Projects
• Artificial Liver Platform for Next Generation Drug Discovery and Development
• Tissue Engineering of Heart Muscle Tissue
• Establishment of a 3D Biologically Relevant Cancer Cell Niche for High-throughput Cancer Drug Screening
• Modulating Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation by Controlling Cellular Morphology and Material Surface Topography
• Development and Study of Elastomeric Biodegradable Materials as Tissue Scaffolds for Regeneration of Infracted Myocardium Using Adult Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Selected Publications
Yu, Ting; Chua, Chee Kai; Tay, Chor Yong, LP Tan, A Generic Micropatterning Platform to Direct Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Different Origins Towards Myogenic Differentiation, MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE, Pages: 799-807, Published: JUN 2013.
Tay, Chor Yong; Koh, Cheng Gee; Tan, Nguan Soon; LP Tan, Mechanoregulation of stem cell fate via micro-/nano-scale manipulation for regenerative medicine NANOMEDICINE Pages: 623-638 DOI: 10.2217/NNM.13.31 , Published: APR 2013.
Li, Huaqiong; Wen, Feng; LP Tan Human Mesenchymal Stem-Cell Behaviour On Direct Laser Micropatterned Electrospun Scaffolds with Hierarchical Structures, MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE, Pages: 299-310, Published: MAR 2013.
Yu, H, LP Tan. Modulation of hMSCs Differentiation through Matrix Elasticity and Focal Adhesion Regulation, ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS, Pages: 442-449, MAR 2013.
Yu, H, et al. Insights into the role of focal adhesion modulation in myogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells, Stem Cells and development, Pages: 136-147, Jan 2013.
Tay Chor Yong; Irvine Scott Alexander; Boey Freddy Y. C.; Subbu Venkatraman, LP Tan, Micro-/Nano-engineered Cellular Responses for Soft Tissue Engineering and Biomedical Applications, SMALL, Volume: 7, Issue: 10, Pages: 1361-1378, Published: MAY 23 2011.
Huaqiong Li, Feng Wen, Yee Shan Wong, Freddy Yin Chiang Boey, Venkatraman S. Subbu,David Tai Leong, Kee Woei Ng, Gary Ka Lai Ng, Lay Poh Tan, Direct laser machining-induced topographic pattern promotes up-regulation of myogenic markers in human mesenchymal stem cells, ACTA BIOMATERILIA, Pages: 531-539, FEB 2012.
Haiyang Yu, Sijing Xiong, Chor Yong Tay, Wen Shing Leong, Lay Poh Tan A novel and simple microcontact printing technique for tacky, soft substrates and/or complex surfaces in soft tissue engineering, ACTA BIOMATERILIA, Pages: 1267-1272, MAR 2012.
Tay Chor Yong; Pal Mintu; Yu Haiyang; Ng KW, LP Tan, Bio-inspired Micropatterned Platform to Steer Stem Cell Differentiation, SMALL, Volume: 7, Issue: 10, Pages: 1416-1421 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201002298, Published: MAY 23 2011.
Wen Shing Leong; Chor Yong Tay; Haiyang Yu; Ang Li; Shu Cheng Wu; Duong-Hong Duc; Chwee Teck Lim; Lay Poh Tan, Thickness sensing of hMSCs on collagen gel direct stem cell fate, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 401, Issue: 2, Pages: 287-292, Oct 2010.
Research Interests• Bio-related projects:
Stem cell- biomaterials interaction, stem cell niche engineering, scaffold and tissue engineering
• Polymer projects: Waste conversion, structural polymeric materials, biodegradable polymers
87
TEO Hang Tong Edwin Assistant Professor
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/htteo.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Simultaneous electron and phonon steering: Application in three dimensional dual electrical and thermal channels
• Development and Characterization of novel CNT based single nano-element radiation nano-antenna array
• Multifunction Carbon based materials for Nanopackaging
• Carbon Nano Tubes based 3D Network dedicated to RF component packaging
• Development of Carbon-based heat extractors for HEMT
• Investigation of interfaces between Carbonaceous Nanostructures
• Exploring Magnetic and Electronic Properties of Two Dimensional (2D) Systems and Their Potentials in Information Storage and Spintronics Devices
Selected Publications
D. W. M. Lau, D. G. McCulloch, M. B. Taylor, J. G. Partridge, D. R. McKenzie, N. A. Marks, E. H. T. Teo, B. K. Tay, “Abrupt stress induced transformation in amorphous carbon films”, Phys. Rev. Letts. 100 (2008) 176101 1-4.
M. Bosman, V. J. Keast, M. Watanabe, D. G. McCulloch, M. Shakerzadeh, E. H. T. Teo, B. K. Tay, “Quantitative, nanoscale mapping of sp2 percentage and crystal orientation in carbon multilayers”, Carbon 47 1 (2009) 94-101.
G. C. Loh, B. K. Tay, E. H. T. Teo “Flux-Mediated Diffuse Mismatch Model” Appl. Phys. Lett. 97 (2010) 1219171-3.
M. Shakerzadeh, N. Xu, M. Bosman, X. Wang, E. H. T. Teo , H. Zheng, B. K. Tay, H. Yu, “Field emission enhancement and microstructural changes of carbon films by single pulse laser irradiation” Carbon 49 3 (2011) 1018-1024.
M. Shakerzadeh, E. H. T. Teo, A. Sorkin, M. Bosman, B. K. Tay, “Plasma density induced formation and nature of nanocrystals in as deposited vapor deposited grown carbon film” Carbon 49 (2011) 1733-1744.
E. H. T. Teo, A. Bolker, R. Kalish, C. Saguy, “Nano-patterning of through-film conductivity in anisotropic amorphous carbon induced using conductive atomic force microscopy”, Carbon 49 (2011) 2679-2682 .
E. H. T. Teo, J. Kulik, Y. Kauffmann, R. Kalish, S. Lifshitz, ” Nanostructured carbon films with oriented graphitic planes”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 98 (2011) 1231041-3.
M. Shakerzadeh, M. K. Samani, N. khosravian, E. H. T. Teo, M. Bosman, B. K. Tay, “Thermal conductivity of nanocrystalline carbon films studied by pulsed photothermal reflectance” Carbon 50 (2012) 1428-1431.
H. Li, Q. Zhang, C. C. Yap, B. K. Tay, E. H. T. Teo, A. Olivier, D. Bailargeat, ”From bulk to monolayerMoS2: evolution of Raman scattering”, Adv. Funct. Mater.
22 (2012) 7 1385-1390.
M. Shakerzadeh, G. C. Loh, N. Xu, W.L. Chow, C. W. Tan, C. Lu, R. C. C. Yap, D. Tan, S. H. Tsang, E. H. T. Teo , B. K. Tay, “ Re-ordering Chaotic Carbon: Origins and Application of Textured Carbon”, Adv. Mater. 24 30 (2012) 4112-4123.
Research Interests• Nano-composites and hybrid materials• Carbon-on-carbon anisotropic hybrids• Re-ordering of chaotic materials• Stacked 2D materials• Thermal Interface Materials • Thermal management through both top-down and bottom-out approach
88
TOK Iing Yoong Alfred Associate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/miytok
Funded Research Projects
• Carbon Nanomaterials for Charge Conservation
• Carbon-Based Molecular Sensors
• Superhard Materials for Ballistic Protection
Selected Publications
Derrick Fam, Suzana Azoubel, Liang Liu, Daniel Mandler, Shlomo Magdassi, Alfred Tok, ‘Novel Glass Fiber Felt Pseudocapacitors-Based on Hierarchical Three-Dimensional Carbon Nanotube-Oxide Layers’, In Preparation.
Huang, J.; Larisika, M.; Fam, W. H. D.; He, Q.; Nimmo, M. A.; Nowak, C.; Tok, A. I. Y., The extended growth of graphene oxide flakes using ethanol CVD. Nanoscale 2013, 5, 2945-2951.
Larisika, M.; Huang, J.; Tok, A.; Knoll, W.; Nowak, C., An improved synthesis route to graphene for molecular sensor applications. Materials Chemistry and Physics 2012, 136, 304-308.
L. T. Su, S. S. Xie, J. Guo, A. I. Y. Tok, O. Vasylkiv, A novel non-catalytic synthesis method for zero- and two-dimensional B13C
2 nanostructures. CrystEngComm
13, 1299 (2011).
S. S. Xie, L. T. Su, J. Guo, O. Vasylkiv, H. Borodianska, Z. Xi, G. M. Krishnan, H. Su and A. I. Y. Tok. Non-Catalytic Facile Synthesis of Superhard Phase of Boron Carbide (B
13C
2) Nanoflakes and Nanoparticles. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 12, 596 (2012).
Vasylkiv, H. Borodianska, P. Badica, S. Grasso, Y. Sakka, A. Tok, L. T. Su, M. Bosman and J. Ma. High Hardness BaCb-(BxOy/BN) Composites with 3D Mesh-Like Fine Grain-Boundary Structure by Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 12, 959 (2012).
P. Badica, H. Borodianska, S. S. Xie, T. Zhao, P. Li, A. I. Y. Tok, D. Demirskyi, Y. Sakka, and O. Vasylkiv, Toughness Control of B4C Obtained by Spark Plasma
Sintering in Nitrogen Atmosphere. Scripta Materialia, In Press (2013).
SEM image of the Chemically Modified Graphene used as transducer in sensor
a) Schematic of sintering process with the using of pulsed electric DC current unique to SPS; (b) Microstructure of the directionally solidified eutectic B4
C–TiB2 alloy; (d) Microstructure of the
eutectic B4C–TiB
2 composites SPS-sintered for 1 min at 1900 °C; Residual porosity dependence of
the eutectic B4C–TiB
2 composites as function of SPS temperature (e) and dwell time (f) of samples
sintered at 1800 °C
Research InterestsIt is envisioned that the high specific surface areas offered by graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can potentially make an impact in energy storage as well as sensing. Graphene, CNTs and their derivatives can be combined in different ways and conformation, and research interests here are focused on investigating the properties of these nanomaterials to maximize charge storage capability, as well as sensing sensitivity and selectivity. The energy storage work is being done in collaboration with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and focuses on deposition techniques like inkjet printing and electrostatic atomization for the fabrication of flexible electronic device based on these carbon Nanomaterials. The sensing work focuses on carbon nanomaterials (including CNT and graphene) based bio-chips to obtain an ultra-sensitive, real-time sensing platform for both gas and liquid analytes. In particular, work is currently being done on IL-6 sensing, a multi-functional cytokine with a wide range of biological activities such as regulation of the immune system and generation of acute phase reactions. This is being done in collaboration with Loughborough University, UK.
Apart from carbon Nanomaterials, research also focuses on lightweight, high hardness and high toughness materials with the capabilities to withstand multiple high velocity shock impact for ballistic protection. Using state-of-the-art Spark-Plasma-Sintering (SPS) technique, near-full dense structural composite material could be produce which is typically not achievable by conventional sintering process. Unique (B
4C-TiB
2)-B
4C ‘composite within a composite’ have also been prepared by SPS using B
4C-
TiB2 eutectic powders with two different morphologies consisting of polycrystalline B
4C and B
4C–TiB
2 eutectic grains randomly
oriented in B4C matrix achieving high Vickers hardness of 54.2 GPa and fracture toughness of 7.5 MPa.m1/2. Apart from synthesis
and sintering of superhard and tough materials, we collaborate extensively on the dynamic testing of hard ceramic composite by Split-Hopkinson-Pressure-Bar (SHPB) and ballistic penetration testing using Light Gas Gun.
89
Subbu VENKATRAMAN Professor Chair, School of Materials Science and Engineering
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/assubbu
Funded Research Projects
• Drug Delivery Systems for Glaucoma and Cornea
• Development and Application of Sustained Drug Release Technology for the Delivery of Nucleic Acid Molecules for the Prevention of Post-operative Scarring in Glaucoma
• Key Technologies for Developing Microorganism-derived Hyaluronic Acid for Biomedical Applications
• Vesico-Urethral Connector
• Periocular Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (anti-VEGF) Compounds Using Hydroxyapatite (HA) based Nanoparticles in Treatment of Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
• The Regenerative Medicine Initiative in Cardiac Restoration Therapy Research Programme
Selected Publications
Li H, Wong YS, Wen F, Ng KW, Ng GKL, Venkatraman SS, Boey FYC, Tan LP. Human mesenchymal stem-cell behavior on direct laser micropatterned electrospun scaffolds with hierarchical structures, Macromolecular Bioscience, 13 (3), pp. 299-310 (2013).
Wong YS, Tay CY, Wen F, Venkatraman SS, Tan LP. Engineered polymeric biomaterials for tissue engineering, Current Tissue Engineering, 1, pp. 41-53 (2012).
Steele TWJ, Huang CL, Nguyen E, Sarig U, Kumar S, Widjaja E, Loo JSC, Machluf M, Boey F, Venkatraman SS. Collagen-cellulose composite thin films that mimic soft-tissue and allow stem-cell orientation, J. of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, In press (2012).
Sarig U, Au-Yueng GCT, Wang Y, Bronshtein T, Dahan N, Boey FYC, Venkatraman SS, Machluf M. Thick acellular heart extracellular matrix with inherent vasculature: A potential platform for myocardial tissue regeneration, Tissue Engineering Part A, 18 (19-20), pp. 2125-2137 (2012).
Irvine SA, Yun X, Venkatraman SS. Anti-platelet and tissue engineering approaches to biomaterial blood compatibilization: how well have these been translated into the clinic?, Drug Delivery and Translational Research, Invited article, 2, pp. 384-397 (2012).
Steele TWJ, Huang CL, Kumar S, Irvine S, Boey FYC, Loo JSC, Venkatraman SS. Novel gradient casting method provides high-throughput assessment of blended polyester poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) thin films for parameter optimization, Acta Biomaterialia, 8 (6), pp. 2263-2270 (2012).
JV Natarajan, M Ang, A Darwitan, S Chattopadhyay, SS Venkatraman, TT Wong. Nanomedicine for glaucoma: liposomes provide sustained delivery of latanoprost in the eye, International Journal of Nanomedicine, 7, 123–131 (2012).
JV Natarajan, S Chattopadhyay, M Ang, A Darwitan, S Foo, Z Ma, M Koo, SS Venkatraman, TT Wong. Sustained release of an anti-glaucoma drug: demonstration of efficacy of a liposomal formulation in the rabbit eye, PLoS ONE, 6(9), e24513 (2011).
Zhu GH, Ng AHC, Venkatraman SS, et al. A novel drug-eluting tracheal stent. Laryngoscope, 121, 2234–2239 (2011).
Huang YY, Venkatraman SS, Boey FYC, et al. In vitro and in vivo performance of a dual drug-eluting stent (DDES), Biomaterials, 31, 4382-4391 (2010).
Research Interests• Biomedical Devices• Drug and Protein Delivery• Tissue Engineering• Biodegradable Materials
Drug Delivery Systems for SiRNA Release into the Eye
Key Technologies for Developing Microorganism-derived Hyaluronic Acid for Biomedical Applications
90
WANG Junling Associate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/jlwang
Funded Research Projects
• Towards Efficient Sunlight Harvesting
Selected Publications
“Non-volatile memory based on ferroelectric photovoltaic effect”, Rui Guo, Lu You, Yang Zhou, Zhi Shiuh Lim, Xi Zou, Lang Chen, R. Ramesh, Junling Wang*, Nature Communications, 4:1990 doi: 10.1038/ncomms2990 (2013).
”Characterization and Manipulation of Mixed Phase Nanodomains in Highly-strained BiFeO3 Thin Films”, Authors: You, Lu; Chen, Zuhuang; Zou, Xi; Ding,
Hui; Chen, Weigang; Chen, Lang; Yuan, Guoliang; Wang, Junling*, ACS Nano 6, 5388 (2012).
“Mechanism of Polarization Fatigue in BiFeO3”, Xi Zou, Lu You, Weigang Chen, Hui Ding, Di Wu, Tom Wu, Lang Chen, Junling Wang*, ACS Nano, 10, 8997
(2012).
“Domain tuning in mixed-phase BiFeO3 thin films using vicinal substrate”, Lu You, Shintaro Yasui, Xi Zou, Hui Ding, Zuhuang Chen, Weigang Chen, Lang
Chen, Hiroshi Funakubo, Junling Wang*, Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 202901 (2012).
“Photovoltaic property of BiFeO3 thin films with 109˚ domains”, Rui Guo, Lu You, Lang Chen, Di Wu, and Junling Wang*, Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 122902 (2011).
“Uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in La0.7
Sr0.3
MnO3 thin film induced by multiferroic BiFeO
3 with stripe ferroelectric domains”, Lu You, Chengliang Lu, Pan
Yang, Guchang Han, Tom Wu, Ulrike Luders, Wilfrid Prellier, Kui Yao, Lang Chen, and Junling Wang*, Adv. Mater. 22 (44), 4964 (2010).
“Influence of Oxygen Pressure on the Ferroelectric Properties of Epitaxial BiFeO3 Thin Films by Pulsed Laser Deposition”, Lu You, Ngeah Theng Chua, Kui
Yao, Lang Chen, Junling Wang*, Phys. Rev. B 80, 024105 (2009).
“Epitaxial BiFeO3 Thin Films on Si”, J. Wang, H. Zheng, Z. Ma, S. Prasertchoung, M. Wuttig, R. Droopad, J. Yu, K. Eisenbeiser, R. Ramesh, Appl. Phys. Lett., 85,
2574 (2004).
“Multiferroic BaTiO3-CoFe
2O
4 Nanostructures”, H. Zheng, J. Wang, S. E. Lofland, Z. Ma, L. Mohaddes-Ardabili, T. Zhao, L. Salamanca-Riba, S. R. Shinde, S.
B. Ogale, F. Bai, D. Viehland, Y. Jia, D. G. Schlom, M. Wuttig, A. Roytburd, R. Ramesh, Science, 303, 661 (2004).
“Epitaxial BiFeO3 Multiferroic Thin Film Heterostructures”, J. Wang, J. B. Neaton, H. Zheng, V. Nagarajan, S. B. Ogale, B. Liu, D. Viehland, D. G. Schlom, U. V.
Waghmare, N. A. Spaldin, K. M. Rabe, M. Wuttig, R. Ramesh, Science, 299, 1719 (2003).
Research InterestsMy research focuses on multifunctional oxide thin films and their applications in nanoelectronic and spintronic devices. These materials all possess the same perovskite structure with the chemical formula of ABO
3. More than half of the elements on the
periodic table can be placed on either the A or B site, leading to oxides that possess a wide range of exotic properties ranging from highly insulating to superconducting, from dielectric to ferroelectric and multiferroic. Our expertises include (1) oxides hetero-epitaxy by Pulsed Laser Deposition; (2) ferroelectric and magnetic domain analysis using Atomic Force Microscope based techniques; and (3) applications of these functional oxides in nanoelectronic and spintronic devices.
Through materials processing, structural analysis and electrical/magnetic characterizations, we try to understand the fundamental physics of functional oxides at low dimensions and develop new materials/devices for the next generation nanotechnology.
91
Tim WHITE Professor
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/tjwhite.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Optimization of Oxygen Sublattice Soli Oxide Fuel Cell Apatite Electrolytes
• Incommensuration in oxide crystal structures: Impacts on photocatalysis and ion conduction
• High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope for Physical Sciences Research
• A National Approach to Electron Microscopy Teaching, Australian Learning and Teaching Council
• Singapore-Berkeley Research Initiative in Sustainable Energy – Materials Characterization
Selected Publications
Ramesh, K., Ling, E.G.Y., Gwie, C.G., White, T.J., and Borgna, A.: Structure and Surface Reactivity of WO42- , SO
42- , PO
4 3- Modified Ca-Hydroxyapatite
Catalysts and Their Activity in Ethanol Conversion. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 116, 18736 – 18745 (2012).
Yu, Y.L.; Chen, H.; Liu, Y., White, T. and Chen, Y.: Preparation and potential application of boron nitride nanocups Mat. Lett., 80, 148-151 (2012).
Baikie, T., Klooster, W., White, T.J.: A Gem Grade Brazillian Apatite, Am. Mineral., 97, 1574-1581 (2012).
Ramesh, K, Goh, YLE, Gwie, CG., Jie, C., White, T.J., Borgna, A: Ethanol dehydration activity on hydrothermally stable LaPxOy catalysts synthesized using CTAB template. J. Porous Mat., 19, 423-431 (2012).
Wei, FX; Baikie, T. An, T; Kloc, C; Wei, J and White, T.: Crystal Chemistry of Melilite [CaLa]2[Ga]
2[Ga
2O
7]2: a Five Dimensional Solid Electrolyte. Inorg. Chem.,
51, 5941-5949 (2012).
Low, H.R, Avdeev, M., Ramesh, K, White, T.J.: Zinc hydroxyapatite for Decomposition of 2-propanol. Adv. Materials, 24, 4175-4179 (2012).
Wong, C.L., Madhavi, S., Phonthammachai, N., White, T.J.: Synthesis and crystal chemical evolution of fresnoite powders J. Solid State Chem., 187, 165-171 (2012).
Li, H, Baikie, T., Pramana, S.S., Shin, J.F., Slater, P.R., Brink, F., Hester, J., Wallwork, K. and White, T.J: Synthesis and characterisation of vanadium doped alkaline earth lanthanum germanate oxyapatite electrolyte, J. Mater. Chem., 22, 2658-2669 (2012).
Samran, B; White, TJ; Wongkasemjit, S: A novel room temperature synthesis of mesoporous SBA-15 from silatrane. Journal of Porous Materials, 18, 167-175 (2011).
Orera, A.; Baikie, T.; Kendrick, E.; Shin, JF, Pramana, S.; Smith, R.; White, TJ; Sanjuan, ML; Slater, PR : Apatite germanates doped with tungsten: synthesis, structure, and conductivity. Dalton Transactions, 40, 3903-3908 (2011).
Lim, S. C.; Baikie, T.; Pramana, SS., Smith, R. and White, T.J.: Apatite metaprism twist angle (phi) as a tool for crystallochemical diagnosis. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 184, 2978-2986 (2011).
Research InterestsWhite’s current research entails the application of the principles of sold state chemistry to the atomic design of apatite based materials as waste form solids, catalysts and electrolytes. The apatites are a structurally difficult group of materials with a vast chemistry. The first step in deciphering this material was to re-examine its crystallographic precepts. Although the features of the apatite have been known for seventy years a method of description that allowed trends in crystallography and properties to be followed as a function of composition had remained elusive. It has been shown convincingly that apatite can be described as a flexible framework structure whose tunnels adjust according to degree of filling. Armed with new description, and in collaboration with Dr. Patrick Mercier of the National Research Council of Canada, new methods of refining apatite crystal structures have been developed (many reported structures are now seen to be incorrect) and quantum mechanical methods are being used to develop new functionalities. A comprehensive understanding of apatite is being developed using a combination of diffraction and imaging techniques for materials with potential as ecomaterials.
At the School of Materials Science and Engineering White has focused on developing for crystallographic studies of ceramic materials, with a deepening focus on modulated structures where 3-dimensional ordering principles are no longer sufficient, but superspace groups (4, 5, 6 dimensional) are required to model atom arrangements. The influence of these complex arrangements on functionality (e.g. band gap, ion migration and so on) is a topic of growing importance, and the group at NTU are one of the few attempting to identify structure-property correlations, and more pertinently, develop materials processing methods to control and optimize materials performance. Through competitive research funding (MOE Tier 2 and A*STAR PSF) a laboratory containing a mirror furnace to grow large single crystals, and a single crystal diffractomter, has been established. Students that have passed through the laboratory have found positions at A*STAR, Imperial College London, and the Australian National University.
92
Lydia Helena WONG Assistant Professor
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/lydiawong.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Photovoltaic Device
• Cd-free buffer Layer for CZTS Solar Cell
• Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing of Printed Electronics: Printed Photovoltaic
• Nanomaterials for Solar Energy Harvesting
• Investigation of Hematite as the Photoanode for Artificial Photosynthesis
• Hybrid Photocatalyst for H2
Photoproduction
Selected Publications
Hui Min Lim, Sudip K. Batabyal, Stevin S. Pramana, L. H. Wong, Shlomo Magdassi and S. G. Mhaisalkar, Chemical welding of binary nanoparticles: room temperature sintering of CuSe and In
2S
3 nanoparticles for solution-processed CuInS
xSe
1−x solar cells, Chem Comm (Advance Article 2013).
PD. Tran, M. Nguyen, L.H. Wong, et al, Copper molybdenum sulfide: a new efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen production from water, Energy & Environmental Science Volume: 5 Issue: 10 Pages: 8912-8916.
Xi, Lifei; Bassi, Prince Saurabh; Chiam, Sing Yang; L.H. Wong, et al, Surface treatment of hematite photoanodes with zinc acetate for water oxidation, Nanoscale 2012, Volume: 4 Issue: 15 Pages: 4430-4433.
Xi. L., Tran, P.D., Chia, S.Y., Bassi, P.S., Mak, W.F., Mulmudi, H.K., Batabyal, S.K., Barber, J. and Loo, J.S.C. and Wong, L.H. (2012) Co3O
4 decorated hematite
nanorods as efficient photoanode for solar water oxidation J. Phys. Chem. C. 116, 13884-13889.
Xi. L, L.H. Wong et al, A novel strategy for surface treatment on hematite photoanode for efficient water oxidation, Chem. Science., 2012, Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Pages: 164-169.
M.Nguyen, P.D. Tran, SS. Pramana, Rui Lin Lee, Sudip K. Batabyal, Nripan Mathews, L.H. Wong and Michael Graetzel, In situ photo-assisted deposition of MoS
2 electrocatalyst onto zinc cadmium sulphide nanoparticle surfaces to construct an efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen generation, Nanoscale
(2013) Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Pages: 1479-1482.
Cai Y, J. Ho, S.K. Batabyal, Y. Sun, W. Liu, S.G. Mhaisalkar and L.H. Wong, Nanoparticle-induced grain growth of Carbon-free solution processed CuIn(S,Se)2
solar cell with 6% efficiency, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2013, 5 (5), pp 1533–1537.
J. Ho, S.K. Batabyal, L.H. Wong et al, Optical and Electrical Properties of Wurtzite Copper Indium Sulfide Nanoflakes, Materials Express 2012 Vol. 2, No. 4, p 344-350.
J. Sun, C. Sun, S.K. Batabyal, P.D. Tran, S.S. Pramana, L.H. Wong, S.G. Mhaisalkar, Morphology and stoichiometry control of hierarchical CuInSe2/SnO
2 nanostructures by directed electrochemical assembly for solar energy harvesting, Electrochemistry Communications, 2012, 15(1), 18-21.
T.Z. Oo, N. Mathews, G.Xing, B.Wu, B. Xing, L.H. Wong, T. C. Sum, and S. G. Mhaisalkar, Ultrafine Gold Nanowire Networks as Plasmonic Antennae in Organic Photovoltaics, J. Phys Chem C, 2012, 116 (10), 6453-6458.
Simple illustration of PCE and results of Sn(IV) treated hematite nanorod arrays for efficient water oxidation
One varian of chalcopyrite structure in glass substrate with addition of nanoparticle
Research Interests• Iron Oxide for O
2 generation through water splitting
• Cu-based chalcopyrite materials for low cost solar cell
Iron Oxide for O2 generation through water splitting
Cu-based chalcopyrite materials for low cost solar cell
93
XU Zhichuan Jason Assistant Professor
http://www.mse.ntu.edu.sg/AboutUs/Organisation/Pages/xuzc.aspx
Funded Research Projects
• Low Temperature Electrocatalysis in Small Molecule Reactions
Selected Publications
Z. Xu (co-first), J. Suntivich, C. E. Carlton, J. Kim, B. Han, S. W. Lee, N. Bonnet, N. Marzari, L. F. Allard, H. A. Gasteiger, K. Hamad-Schifferli, Y. Shao-Horn, “Surface Composition Tuning of Au–Pt Bimetallic Nanoparticles for Enhanced Carbon Monoxide and Methanol Electro-oxidation”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135 (2013), 7985.
Z. Xu, E. Lei, Y. Shao-Horn, K. Hamad-Schifferli, “Compositional Dependence of the Stability of Gold Copper Alloy Nanoparticles”, Chem. Comm. 48 (2012) 5626.
Z. Xu, C. E. Carlton, L. F. Allard, Y. Shao-Horn, K. Hamad-Schifferli, “Direct Colloidal Route for Pt-Covered AuPt Bimetallic Nanoparticles”, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 1 (2010) 2514.
Y. Lu, Z. Xu, H. A. Gasteiger, S. Chen, K. Hamad-Schifferli, Y. Shao-Horn, “Platinum-Gold Nanoparticles: A highly Active Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Rechargeable Lithium-Air Batteries”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132 (2010) 12170.
J. Tian, Z. Xu, C. Shen, F. Liu, N. Xu, H. Gao, “One-dimensional boron nanostructures: Prediction, synthesis, characterizations, and applications”, Nanoscale 2 (2010) 1375.
Z. Xu, C. Shen, Y. Tian, X. Shi, H. Gao, “Organic phase synthesis of iron oxide nanocrystals using iron chloride as precursor”, Nanoscale 2 (2010) 1027.
Z. Xu, C. Shen, S. Sun, H. Gao, “Growth of Au nanowires at the interface of air/water”, J. Phys. Chem. C 113 (2009) 15196.
Z. Xu, C. Shen, Y. Hou, S. Sun, H. Gao, “Oleylamine as both reducing agent and stabilizer in a facile synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles”, Chem. Mater. 21 (2009) 1778.
Z. Xu, Y. Hou, S. Sun, “Magnetic core/shell Fe3O
4/Au and Fe
3O
4/Au/Ag nanoparticles with tunable plasmonic properties”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 129 (2007)
8698.
Z. Xu (co-first author), Y. Hou, S. Peng, C. Rong, J. P. Liu, S. Sun, “A facile synthesis of SmCo5 nanomagnets from core/shell Co/Sm
2O
3 nanoparticles”, Adv.
Mater. 19 (2007) 3349.
Research Interests• Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide• Electrochemical catalysis on nanoparticle surfaces• Advanced nanoparticles• Nanoparticle based electrochemical biosensors• Nanostructured electrodes for energy storage
The figure shows typical TEM images of Fe3O
4 (blue), CoO (gray green), and carbon supported Au (pink)
nanoparticles. The cartoon demonstrates the electrochemical reduction of CO2 over a bimetallic cluster.
94
XUE Can Assistant Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/cxue/
Funded Research Projects
• Facet-Controllable Ultra-Thin Metal Nanostructures towards Efficient Catalysis
• Development of New Hetero-Nanoparticles for Solar Photocatalysis
• Towards Efficient Sunlight Harvesting
Selected Publications
M. M. Shahjamali, M. Bosman, S. W. Cao, X. Huang, X. H. Cao, H. Zhang, S. S. Pramana, C. Xue*, “Surfactant-Free Sub-2 nm Ultrathin Triangular Gold Nanoframe”, Small 2013, 9, 2880-2886.
Y. P. Yuan, S. W. Cao, Y. S. Liao, L. S. Yin, C. Xue*, “Red Phosphor/g-C3N
4 Heterojunction with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activities for Solar Fuels Production”,
Appl. Catal. B: Environ. 2013, 140, 164-168.
J. Fang, L. Xu, Z. Y. Zhang, Y. P. Yuan, S. W. Cao, Z. Wang, L. S. Yin, Y. S. Liao, C. Xue*, “Au@TiO2−CdS Ternary Nanostructures for Efficient Visible-Light-Driven
Hydrogen Generation”, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2013, 5, 8088-8092.
M. M. Shahjamali, M. Bosman, S. W. Cao, X. Huang, S. Saadat, E. Martinsson, D. Aili, Y. Y. Tay, B. Liedberg, S. C. J. Loo, H. Zhang, F. Boey, C. Xue*,“Gold-Coating of Silver Nanoprisms”, Adv. Funct. Mater. 2012, 22, 849-854.
Z. Y. Yin, Z. Wang, Y. P. Du, X. Y. Qi, Y. Z. Huang, C. Xue, H. Zhang, “Full Solution-Processed Synthesis of All Metal Oxide–Based Tree-like Heterostructures on Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide for Water Splitting”, Adv. Mater. 2012, 24, 5374-5378.
S. W. Cao, Z. Yin, J. Barber, F. Boey, S. C. J. Loo*, C. Xue*, “Preparation of Au-BiVO4 Heterogeneous Nanostructures as Highly Efficient Visible-Light
Photocatalysts”, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2012, 4, 418-423.
X. Y. Qi, C. Xue*, X. Huang, Y. Z. Huang, X. Z. Zhou, H. Li, D. Liu, F. Boey, Q. Y. Yan, W. Huang, S. D. Feyter, K. Müllen, H. Zhang*, “Polyphenylene Dendrimer Templated in-situ Construction of Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Rice-Shaped Architectures”, Adv. Funct. Mater. 2010, 20, 43-49.
C. Xue, G. S. Métraux, J. E. Millstone, C. A. Mirkin, “Mechanistic Study of Photomediated Triangular Silver Nanoprism Growth”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 8337-8344.
C. Xue, J. E. Millstone, S. Y. Li, C. A. Mirkin, “Plasmon-Driven Synthesis of Triangular Core-Shell Nanoprisms from Gold Seeds”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 8436-8439.
C. Xue, C. A. Mirkin, “pH-Switchable Silver Nanoprism Growth Pathways”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 2036-2038.
Research Interests• Synthesis, optical properties and applications of anisotropic metal nanocrystals• Preparation of Semiconductor nanostructures for photocatalysis• Fabrication of metal-semiconductor hybrid nanostructures for solar fuels production
95
YAN Qingyu AlexAssociate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/alexyan
Funded Research Projects
• Roll to Roll Manufacturing of Printed Electronics: Printed Battery
Selected Publications
Xianhong Rui, Xiaoxu Zhao, Ziyang, Lu, Huiteng Tan, Daohao Sim, Huey Hoon Hng, Rachid Yazami, Tuti Mariana Lim, Qingyu Yan*, “Olivine-Type Nanosheets for Lithium Ion Battery Cathodes”, ACS NANO (2013 accepted).
Jixin Zhu, Zongyou Yin, Dan Yang, Ting Sun, Hong Yu, Harry E. Hoster, Huey Hoon Hng, Hua Zhang,* Qingyu Yan,* “Hierarchical hollow spheres composed of ultrathin Fe
2O
3 nanosheets for lithium storage and photocatalytic water oxidation”, Energy & Environmental Science 6 (3), (2013) 987.
Ren Cai, Hai Liu, Wenyu Zhang, Huiteng Tan, Dan Yang, Yizhong Huang, Huey Hoon Hng, Tuti Mariana Lim, Qingyu Yan*, “Controlled synthesis of double-wall a-FePO
4 nanotubes and their LIB cathode properties”, Small 9 (7), (2013), p1036.
Xianhong Rui, Ziyang Lu, Zongyou Yin, Dao Hao Sim, Ni Xiao, Tuti Mariana Lim, Huey Hoon Hng, Hua Zhang,* Qingyu Yan*, “Oriented Molecular Attachments Through Sol-Gel Chemistry for Synthesis of Ultrathin Hydrated Vanadium Pentoxide Nanosheets and Their Applications”, Small 9 (5), (2013), p716-721.
Yaping Du, Zongyou Yin, Xianhong Rui, Zhiyuan Zeng, Xuejun Wu, Juqing Liu, Yuanyuan Zhu, Qingyu Yan, Hua Zhang*, “A General Method for Synthesis of Large-Amount Uniform Ultrathin Metal Sulfide Nanocrystals”, Nature Communications 3, (2012), 1177.
Chen Xu, Yi Zeng, Xianhong Rui, Ni Xiao, Jixin Zhu, Wenyu Zhang, Jing Chen, Huiteng Tan, Huey Hoon Hng, Qingyu Yan*, “Controlled Soft-Template Synthesis of Ultrathin C@FeS Nanosheets with High-Li-Storage Performance”, ACS NANO 6, (2012), p4713.
Ni Xiao, Xiaochen Dong, Li Song, Dayong Liu1, YeeYan Tay, Shixin Wu, Lain-Jong Li, Yang Zhao, Ting Yu,Hua Zhang,Wei Huang, Huey Hoon Hng, Pulickel M. Ajayan*, Qingyu Yan*, “Enhanced Thermopower of Graphene Films with Oxygen Plasma Treatment”, ACS NANO 5 (4), (2011) p2749.
Jixin Zhu, Zongyou Yin, Hai Li, Huiteng Tan, Chee Lap Chow, Hua Zhang, Huey Hoon Hng, Jan Ma and Qingyu Yan*, “Bottom-up preparation of porous metal oxides ultrathin sheets with adjustable composition/phases and their applications”, Small 7, (2011), p3163.
Xiaojun Zhang, Wenhui Shi, Jixin Zhu, Daniel Julian Kharistal, Weiyun Zhao, Boor Singh Lalia, Huey Hoon Hng* and Qingyu Yan*, “High-Power and High-Energy-Density Flexible Pseudocapacitor Electrodes Made from Porous CuO Nanobelts and SWCNTs”, ACS NANO, 5 (3), (2011) p2013.
Wenwen Zhou, Jixin Zhu, Di Li, Huey Hoon Hng, Freddy Yin Chiang Boey, Jan Ma, Hua Zhang, Qingyu Yan*, “Binary-phased nanoparticles for enhanced thermoelectric properties”, Advanced Materials, 21, 31, p3196 (2009).
Research Interests• Energy storage• Thermoelectric semiconductors• Controlled synthesis of nanostructures
Hierarchical hollow spheres of FeOOH composed of ultrathin nanosheets show attractive energy storage performance.
96
ZHANG Hua Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/hzhang
Funded Research Projects
• Graphene-Based Materials: Synthesis, Functionalization and Applications
• Nanomaterials for Energy and Water Management
• Synthesis of Novel Metal Nanomaterials
Selected Publications
X. Huang, Z. Zeng, S. Bao, M. Wang, X. Qi, Z. Fan & H. Zhang*. Solution-phase epitaxial growth of noble metal nanostructures on dispersible single-layer MoS
2 nanosheets. Nat. Commun., 4, 1444 (2013).
Y. Du, Z. Yin, J. Zhu, X. Huang, X.-J. Wu, Z. Zeng, Q. Yan & H. Zhang*. A general method for the large-scale synthesis of uniform ultrathin metal sulphide nanocrystals. Nat. Commun., 3, 1177 (2012).
X. Huang, S. Z. Li, Y. Z. Huang, S. X. Wu, X. Z. Zhou, C. L. Gan, F. Boey, C. A. Mirkin* & H. Zhang*. Synthesis of hexagonal close-packed gold nanostructures. Nat. Commun., 2, 292 (2011).
X. Huang, Z. Y. Zeng & H. Zhang*. Metal Dichalcogenide Nanosheets: Preparation, Properties and Applications. Chem. Soc. Rev., 42, 1934-1946 (2013).
X. Huang, X. Y. Qi, F. Boey, H. Zhang*. Graphene-Based Composites. Chem. Soc. Rev., 41, 666-686 (2012).
C. F. Zhu, Z. Y. Zeng, H. Li, F. Li, C. H. Fan, H. Zhang*. Single-Layer MoS2-Based Nanoprobes for Homogeneous Detection of Biomolecules. J. Am. Chem.
Soc., 135, 5998-6001 (2013).
Z. Y. Zeng, T. Sun, J. X. Zhu, X. Huang, Z. Y. Yin, G. Lu, Z. X. Fan, Q. Y. Yan, H. H. Hng, H. Zhang*. An Effective Method for the Fabrication of Few-Layer-Thick Inorganic Nanosheets. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 51, 9052-9056 (2012)
Z. Y. Zeng, Z. Y. Yin, X. Huang, H. Li, Q. Y. He, G. Lu, F. Boey & H. Zhang*. Single-Layer Semiconducting Nanosheets: High-Yield Preparation and Device Fabrication. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 50, 11093-11097 (2011).
X. Huang, H. Li, S. Z. Li, S. X. Wu, F. Boey, J. Ma & H. Zhang*. Synthesis of Gold Square-like Plates from Ultrathin Gold Square Sheets: The Evolution of Structure Phase and Shape. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 50, 12245-12248 (2011).
X. Y. Qi, K.-Y. Pu, H. Li, X. Z. Zhou, S. X. Wu, Q.-L. Fan, B. Liu,* F. Boey, W. Huang,* H. Zhang*. Amphiphilic Graphene Composites. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 49, 9426-9429 (2010).
Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, such as graphene and metal dichalcogenides, have received tremendous attention in recent years, due to their intriguing properties associated with their ultra-thin thickness and 2D morphology. My group focuses on preparation of novel 2D nanomaterials and then exploration of their applications in sensing, water and clean energy.
1. My group has synthesized various graphene-based nanomaterials, including Ag, Au, ZnO, CuO, Cu2O, Fe
3O
4, etc., and explored their applications
in clean energy, sensing, electronic devices, etc. In particular, for the first time, my group synthesized a novel hexagonal close packed (hcp) gold nanostructure, i.e. ultrathin Au square sheets (AuSSs), by a chemical method at ambient conditions.
2. My group has developed a universal, soft-colloidal-templating strategy for the synthesis of high-quality, ultrathin metal sulfide nanocrystals with various compositions and phases, i.e. the 3.2 nm-thick hexagonal CuS nanosheets, 1.8 nm-diameter hexagonal ZnS nanowires, 1.2 nm-diameter orthorhombic Bi
2S
3 nanowires and 1.8 nm-diameter orthorhombic Sb
2S
3 nanowires. This method could be broadly applicable for the facile and
high-yield production of other novel ultrathin nanostructures with great promise for various applications.
3. For the first time, my lab has developed a universal method to fabricate high-yield, single-layer two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials (e.g. MoS2,
WS2, TiS
2, TaS
2, ZrS
2, and graphite), through a controllable lithiation process. In particular, the large-scale production of single-layer MoS
2 has
been achieved in 92% yield. These large-amount, high-yield, single-layer 2D semiconducting nanosheets could be used for various applications in electric devices, heterogeneous catalysis, and gas sensors.
4. Very recently, for the first time, my lab has demonstrated that the MoS2 nanosheets can be used to direct the epitaxial growth of Pd, Pt and
Ag nanostructures at ambient conditions. These nanostructures show the major (111) and (101) orientations on the MoS2 (001) surface. Importantly,
the Pt-MoS2 hybrid nanomaterials exhibit much higher electrocatalytic activity towards the hydrogen evolution reaction compared with the
commercial Pt catalysts with the same Pt loading. This nanosheet-templated epitaxial growth of nanostructures via the wet-chemical reaction is a promising strategy towards the facile and high-yield production of novel functional materials.
5. By using the mechanical exfoliation method, my group has successfully prepared and characterized MoS2 sheets from single layer to 15 layers.
The bi-layer MoS2 FET device exhibited both stable and sensitive responses down to a detection limit of 0.8 ppm NO. In addition, for the
first time, my group fabricated a novel phototransistor based on the single-layer MoS2 nanosheet, and investigated its light-induced electric
properties. This single-layer MoS2 phototransistor exhibits a better photoresponsivity as compared to the pristine graphene-based device. The
unique characteristics of incident-light control, prompt photoswitching and good photoresponsivity of the MoS2 phototransistor pave an avenue
to develop the single-layer semiconducting materials for multifunctional optoelectronic device applications in the future.
6. My group has employed graphene and MoS2 nanosheets for various applications. For example, for the first time, my group has used the
single-layer MoS2 nanosheets for homogeneous detection of DNA and small molecules since the single-layer MoS
2 nanosheet exhibits the high
fluorescence quenching ability and different affinity towards ssDNA and dsDNA. By using hydrothermal method, few-layer MoS2 nanosheets
were synthesized on TiO2 nanobelts in order to enhance the photocatalytic activities. Moreover, my group has used MoS
2 nanosheets for
gas sensors and memory devices. In addition, graphene, 3D graphene networks and their composites have been successfully used for various applications, such as sensors (e.g., gas, chemical and bio-sensors), water splitting, clean energy nanodevices (e.g., field-effect transistors, memory devices), etc.
Research Interests• Preparation and Applications of Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials
97
ZHANG Qichun Assistant Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/qczhang
Selected Publications
W.-W. Xiong, E. U. Athersh, Y. T. Ng, J. Ding, T. Wu, Q. Zhang* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135(4), 1256-1259.
G. Li, Y. Wu, J. Gao, C. Wang, J. Li, H. Zhang, Y. Zhao, Y. Zhao, Q. Zhang* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134(50), 20298-20301.
J. Xiao, H. M. Duong, Y. Liu, W. Shi, L. Ji, G. Li, S. Li, X. Liu, J. Ma, F. Wudl, Q. Zhang* Angew Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51(25), 6094-6098.
Z.-Q. Lin, P.-J. Sun, Y.-Y. Tay, J. Liang, Y. Liu, N.-E. Shi, L.-H. Xie, M.-D. Yi, Y. Qian, Q.-L. Fan, H. Zhang, H. H. Hng, J. Ma, Q. Zhang,* W. Huang ACS Nano, 2012, 6, 5309-5319.
X. Teng, Y. Zhu, W. Wei, S. Wang, J. Huang, R. Naccache, W. Hu, A. I. Y. Tok, Y. Han, Q. Zhang, Q. Fan, W. Huang, J. A. Capobianco, L. Huang J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012 130(20), 8340-8343.
G. Lu, S. Z. Li, Z. Guo, O. K. Farha, B. G. Hauser, X. Y. Qi, Y. Wang, X. Wang, S. Y. Han, X. G. Liu, J. S. DuChene, H. Zhang, Q. Zhang, X. D. Chen, J. Ma, S. C. J. Loo, W. D. Wei, Y. H. Yang, J. T. Hupp, F. W. Huo, Nat. Chem., 2012, 4, 310-316.
K. Biswas, J. He, Q. Zhang, V. P Dravid, G. Wang, C. Uher, M. Kanatzidis Nat. Chem. 2011, 3, 160-166.
J. Xiao, Z. Yin, H. Li, Q. Zhang, F. Boey, H. Zhang, Qichun Zhang* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 6926.
K. Biswas, Q. Zhang, I. Chung, J.-H. Song, J. Androulakis, A. Freeman, M. Kanatzidis J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 14760.
Q. Zhang, I. Chung, J. I. Jang; J. B. Ketterson; M. G. Kanatzidis J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009 , 131, 9896.
Research InterestsExotic materials and their applications including novel organic conjugated compounds, inorganic semiconducting materials, self-assembly of organic materials, interaction on interfaces, and devices’ application such as solar cell, MFCs, memory, OLEDs, and thermoelectric.
Funded Research Projects
• Highly-Conductive n-type Organic Wires for Enhancing Bioelectronic Programme
• Organic Nanowire-Polymer Composites as Networks for Stretchable Solar Devices
• Organic Quantum Dots: Smart Materials for Nanoelectronics (Quantum Dot Solar Cells)
• Novel Halide-Chalcogenide Hybrid Materials for Non-linear Optical Applications to Detect Chemical and Biological Hazards
• Synthesis and Characterization of Organic Conjugated Molecules and Conjugated Polymer Nanowires
• Materials Research for Wind Turbine Applications
• Graphene-Based Materials: Synthesis, Functionalization and Applications
• Energy and Electronic Couplings at Nanoparticle-Polymer Interface in Organic Photovoltaic Cells
• Integration of Thermoelectric Modules into Ship-Board Equipments to Improve the Fuel Efficiency and Reduce CO
2 Emission
• Waste Energy Harvesting for Sustainable Earth
• Nanomaterials for Energy and Water Management
98
ZHAO Yang Associate Professor
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/zhaoyang
Funded Research Projects
• Toward Efficient Sunlight Harvesting
Selected Publications
Yao Yao and Yang Zhao, A variational surface hopping algorithm for the sub-Ohmic spin-boson model, Journal of Chemical Physics 139, 014102 (2013).
Ning Wu, Liwei Duan, Xin Li, and Yang Zhao, Dynamics of the sub-Ohmic spin-boson model: a time-dependent variational study, Journal of Chemical Physics 138, 084111 (2013).
Jin Sun, Liwei Duan, and Yang Zhao, Delocalized Davydov D1 Ansatz for the Holstein Polaron, Journal of Chemical Physics 138, 174116 (2013).
Wujun Shi, James Barber, and Yang Zhao, Role of Formation of Statistical Aggregates in Chlorophyll Fluorescence Concentration Quenching, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 117, 3976 (2013).
Junkuo Gao, Wujun Shi, Jun Ye, Xiaoqing Wang, Hajime Hirao, and Yang Zhao, QM/MM Modeling of Environmental Effects on Electronic Transitions of the FMO Complex, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 117, 3488 (2013).
Yang Zhao, Bin Luo, Yuyu Zhang, and Jun Ye, Dynamics of a Holstein polaron with off-diagonal coupling, Journal of Chemical Physics 137, 084113 (2012).
Jun Ye, Kewei Sun, Yang Zhao, Yunjin Yu, Chee Kong Lee, and Jianshu Cao, Excitonic energy transfer in light-harvesting complexes in purple bacteria, Journal of Chemical Physics 136, 245104 (2012).
Guangcan Yang, Ning Wu, Tuo Chen, Kewei Sun, and Yang Zhao, Theoretical Examination of Long-range Energy Propagation in Nano-Engineered Light Harvesting Antenna Arrays, Journal of Physical Chemistry C 116, 3747 (2012).
Dongmeng Chen, Jun Ye, Haijun Zhang, and Yang Zhao, On The Munn-Silbey Approach to Polaron Transport with Off-Diagonal Coupling and Temperature-Dependent Canonical Transformations, Journal of Physical Chemistry B 115, 5312 (2011) (Special Issue: Shaul Mukamel Festschrift).
Light harvesting antenna complexes (LH2) and reaction center complex (LH1) in the photosynthetic apparatus of purple bacteria
Research Interests• Mechanisms of Energy Transport in Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis: It is extremely beneficial to learn from nature on
many elegant designs of photosynthesis perfected by millennia of evolution. Using femtosecond laser and quantum control theory, we explore the energy transfer pathways and develop a unified framework for excitation transfer from pigments to reaction centers in various photosynthetic systems. The theoretical studies are augmented with state-of-the-art computational technologies such as the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) driven acceleration to enable fully quantum-mechanical probing of large systems. We also seek to discover guiding principles for the optimal design of molecular structures and nanoscale devices to best enhance the efficiency and robustness of light-harvesting. Knowledge gained and insights provided by the theoretical studies will facilitate designs of artificial photosynthetic devices with an emphasis on efficiency and robustness of coherent energy transfer in a disordered but correlated environment.
• Nanomechanics in Carbon Nanotube based Nanomachines: Miniaturization of electronic and mechanical devices over the past century has brought immeasurable impact onto human lives. Commercial microelectromechanical systems have reached micron scales, and bona fide molecular apparatuses began to emerge setting the stage for upcoming integrated nanoelectromechanics. We systematically investigate carbon-nanotube-based oscillators, bearings and rotators via molecular dynamics simulations in order to establish their optimal operating conditions and to facilitate function-oriented designs. In addition, particular attention is paid to utilization of nanomachinery devices as nanolabs to study energy exchanges among various degrees of freedom, ergodicity on energy surfaces, and equipartition as systems relax, and to test fundamental hypotheses of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.
• Ultrafast Relaxation of Photo-Excited States: The advent of ultrafast femtosecond laser spectroscopy brings about intense research interest in relaxation dynamics of photo-excited states in liquids and solids. Newly-arrived technological capabilities to control femtosecond pulse durations and down-to-one-hertz bandwidth resolutions provide novel probes on vibrational dynamics and excitation relaxation. We formulate time-dependent polaronic wave functions that facilitate microscopic modeling of photo-generated excitation relaxation and realistic computation of various third-order optical response functions, and help to achieve a satisfactory comparison between theory and experiment.
99
ZHAO Yanli Nanyang Assistant Professor and NRF Fellow
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/zhaoyanli
Funded Research Projects
• National Research Foundation Fellowship
• National Research Foundation CREATE Program
• SERC for The Centre of Excellence for Silicon Technologies
Selected Publications
L. Zhu, X. Li, S. Wu, K. T. Nguyen, H. Yan, H. Ågren, Y. Zhao, Chirality control in in-situ preparation of gold nanoparticle superstructures directed by a coordinatable organogelator, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 9174-9180.
L. Zhu, X. Li, Q. Zhang, X. Ma, M. Li, H. Zhang, Z. Luo, H. Ågren, Y. Zhao, Unimolecular photoconversion of multicolor luminescence on hierarchical self-assemblies, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 5175-5182.
X.-J. Wang, P.-Z. Li, Y. Chen, Q. Zhang, H. Zhang, X. X. Chan, R. Ganguly, Y. Li, J. Jiang, Y. Zhao, A rationally designed nitrogen-rich metal-organic framework and its exceptionally high CO
2 and H
2 uptake capability, Sci. Rep. 2013, 3, 1149.
S. Sreejith, X. Ma, Y. Zhao, Graphene oxide wrapping on squaraine-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles for bioimaging, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 17346-17349.
H. Yan, C. Teh, S. Sreejith, L. Zhu, A. Kwok, W. Fang, X. Ma, K. T. Nguyen, V. Korzh, Y. Zhao, Functional mesoporous silica nanoparticles for photothermal-controlled drug delivery in vivo, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 8373-8377.
P. Borah, X. Ma, K. T. Nguyen, Y. Zhao, A vanadyl complex grafted to periodic mesoporous organosilica: A green catalyst for selective hydroxylation of benzene to phenol, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 7756-7761.
L. Zhu, C. Y. Ang, X. Li, K. T. Nguyen, S. Y. Tan, H. Ågren, Y. Zhao, Luminescent color conversion on cyanostilbene functionalized quantum dots via in-situ photo-tuning, Adv. Mater. 2012, 24, 4020-4024.
Q. Zhang, F. Liu, K. T. Nguyen, X. Ma, X. Wang, B. Xing, Y. Zhao, Multifunctional mesoporous silica nanoparticles for cancer-targeted and controlled drug delivery, Adv. Funct. Mater. 2012, 22, 5144-5156.
X. Ma, K. T. Nguyen, P. Borah, C. Y. Ang, Y. Zhao, Functional silica nanoparticles for redox-triggered drug/ssDNA co-delivery, Adv. Healthcare Mater. 2012, 1, 690-697.
X.-J. Wang, P.-Z. Li, L. Liu, Q. Zhang, P. Borah, J. D. Wong, X. X. Chan, G. Rakesh, Y. Li, Y. Zhao, Significant gas uptake enhancement by post-exchange of zinc(II) with copper(II) within a metal-organic framework, Chem. Commun. 2012, 48, 10286-10288.
Research Interests• Biocompatible systems for diagnostics and therapeutics• Novel porous materials for energy storage and catalysis• Nanocarbon-based electronics
100
