Mar 2009: Warefta's paper on photothermal response and nanoparticle shape is published in Nano Lett and highlighted by NanotechWeb.org
Feb 2009: Odom is awarded the MRS 2009 Outstanding Young Investigator Award
Feb 2009: Hanwei's paper on the RA-SPP effect in Pd nanohole arrays is published in Opt Express
Jan 2009: Odom is featured in C&E News for the ACS Fresenius Award
Jan 2009: Jeunghoon and Warefta's paper on refractive index sensitivity of Au pyramids is published in JPCC
Dec 2008: Hanwei's paper on screening new plasmonic materials using nanopyramidal gratings is published in PNAS
We are working on a new class of asymmetric metal particles: nanofabricated pyramids. Because their nanofabrication procedure is extremely versatile, pyramids are ideal for designing multifunctional plasmonic materials that have high potential for creating unexpected applications. For example, pyramids can be generated with variable sizes, thicknesses, and multi-metal compositions. They can also be designed with blunt, ultra-sharp, or no tips, and site-specific chemical and biological functionality on different portions of the pyramids can be achieved. The optical properties of gold pyramids can be tuned across visible and near-infrared wavelengths by changing a variety of parameters. Large (> 250 nm) pyramids support multipolar surface plasmon resonances, which can be used for imaging and spectral identification of their orientation in condensed media.
Dec 2008: The Special Issue in Nanoscience & Guest Editorial for Acc Chem Res is published
Nov 2008: Our benchtop nanopatterning workshop in Africa is highlighted in Adv. Mater.
Oct 2008: Our paper on nanofabricating plasmonic structures is In Advance in Ann Rev of Phys Chem
Sep 2008: Prof. Odom receives a 2008 NIH Director's Pioneer Award
Sep 2008: Our paper on multifunctional pyramids is published Acc Chem Res
Aug 2008: Prof. Odom is awarded the 2008 National Fresnius Award
Aug 2008: Chris' article on transition metal chalcogenide nanomaterials is published in J. of Solid State Chemistry
Apr 2008: Our invited Perspective on gold nanoparticles is published in ACS Nano
Feb 2008: Liying's paper on protein crystallizaton in microwells is published in JACS
Dec 2007: Jeunghoon's paper on bi-materials pyramids is published in Adv. Mater.
Nov 2007: Min Hyung's paper on microscale arrays of nanoholes is published in Small
Oct 2007: Warefta's paper on selectively functionalizing gold pyramids is published in JPCC.
The interaction of light with surface plasmons — collective oscillations of free electrons — in metallic nanostructures leads to novel optical phenomena. These structures typically consist of ordered arrays of particles or holes with sizes of the order of 100 nm. However, surface plasmons can interact with each other over much longer distances, so the ability to organize nanoscale particles or holes over multiple length scales could lead to new plasmonic metamaterials. We have developed a new nanofabrication technique — soft interference lithography — to produce such metamaterials. These structures include various infinite and finite-area arrays of nanoholes and nanoparticles as well as patterns that contain both metallic and dielectric materials. The free-standing gold film of nanoholes shown on the cover demonstrates the hierachical patterning capabilities of soft interference lithography.
Oct 2007: Our fabrication method to make plasmonic metamaterials is highlighted as an NSF press release and as an Editor's Choice in Science in the 5 Oct issue
Oct 2007: Our paper on benchtop nanoscale patterning using soft lithography is published in J. Chem. Ed.
Sept 2007: Joel's paper on plasmonic metamaterials is feature on the cover of Nature Nanotech.
May 2007: Chris' paper on chemical nanofabrication is published in J. Mater. Chem.
Apr 2007: Joel's Au pyramids on Si pedestals receives 1st place at the 2007 Spring MRS Science as Art competition.
Mar 2007: Prof. Odom is awarded the Rohm and Haas New Faculty Award
Mar 2007: Scott's paper on large-area, addressable nanoscale OLEDs is published in Small
We have combined bottom-up chemical methods and top-down nanoscale patterning techniques—chemical nanofabrication—to generate patterned and free-standing transition metal chalcogenide (TMC) nanostructures. This approach is general and flexible and can produce (1) arrays of MnXy (M = Ni, Ag; X = S, Se) nanoscale structures with different shapes and sizes; (2) crossed arrays of nanostructures out of different TMC materials using a two-stage conversion process; and (3) free-standing nanostructures of NiS2 materials. We can control independently the width, height and aspect ratio of the TMC structures as well as the pitch and area (> 1 square inch) over which they are patterned.
Aug 2006: Hanwei's paper on surface-plasmon mediated enhancement in metallic nanohole arrays is published in Nano Letters
Jul 2006: Joel's paper on the optical properties of pyramid arrays is published in JPCB
By combining near-field and far-field spectroscopy, we have provided direct evidence for the role of surface plasmons (SPs) in the enhanced optical transmission of light through metallic nanoscale hole arrays. Near-field optical images directly confirmed the presence of surface plasmons on gold nanohole arrays with interhole spacings larger than the surface plasmon wavelength. Either lambda (SP) or lambda (SP)/2 was observed depending upon the thickness of the film. Far-field spectroscopy revealed a surface plasmon band that contributed a factor over eight times to the transmission enhancement.
Apr 2006: Our paper on large-area nanopatterning is published in Accounts of Chemical Research
Mar 2006: Joel is selected as a US-participant in the Nobel Laureates Meeting in Lindau
Two-dimensional arrays of gold pyramidal nanoparticles have been aligned, encapsulated, and manipulated within a large (> 1 cm x 1 cm) transparent elastomeric film. The orientation-dependent optical properties of these arrays exhibited localized plasmon resonance modes that were found to be sensitive to both the propagation wavevector and polarization vector.
Feb 2006: Laura receives a Gates Cambridge Fellowship
Feb 2006: Eric's paper on tetrahedral SnS crystals is published in Small
Dec 2005: Chris' paper on patterned MoS2 nanostructures is published in Adv. Mater.
Nov 2005: Prof. Odom is interviewed on NPR's Earth & Sky radio show.
We have developed a flexible and parallel procedure to generate large-area, free-standing films of subwavelength hole arrays. This method is materials-general, and multi-layered films of different materials were constructed. The optical quality of these films was tested using a near-field scanning optical microscope, which revealed the formation of surface plasmon standing wave patterns that were consistent with numerical simulations.
Oct 2005: Soo's paper on surface plasmon standing waves on nanohole arrays is published in Nano Letters
Sept 2005: Laura Hughes receives the Sarrett Award in chemistry at Northwestern.
July 2005: Our work with the Lauhon group is featured on the cover of APL 25 Jul issue
May 2005: Joel's paper on mesoscale pyramids is published in N ano Letters
May 2005: Prof. Odom is selected as a 2005 Cottrell Scholar from Research Corporation.
We have developed a simple procedure that can generate free-standing, mesoscale metallic pyramids composed of one or more materials and having nanoscale tips (radii of curvature less than 2 nm). These pyramids can be composed of two or three different layers with control over their materials and chemical functionality.
May 2005: Scott Price and Numrin Thaitrong receive Undergraduate Summer Research Grants
April 2005: Prof. Odom is awarded a DuPont Young Investigator Grant
April 2005: Laura Hughes receives a Goldwater Fellowship
February 2005: Prof. Odom receives a 2005 Sloan Research Fellowship
We have developed a new synthetic approach to one- (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NbSe2 nanoscale materials using soft chemical methods. Our one-pot synthesis provides a direct route to control the morphology of nanostructures that can exhibit complex electronic properties, and can produce layered, nanocrystalline materials in high yield.
January 2005: Sekar's paper on NbSe2 nanocrystals is published in JACS
November 2004: Hanwei Gao, Warefta Hasan, and Min Hyung Lee join the group
October 2004: Prof. Odom is named to MIT Technology Review TR100 as "one of the world's top young innovators"
August 2004: Liza's paper on templated assembly of CdSe nanocrystals is published in Adv. Materials
August 2004: Eric's paper on directed assembly of thin ZnO nanowires is published in Adv. Materials
Nanoscale fabrication methods provide a unique approach to synthesize nanoscale materials. We have used laser-assisted embossing to generate close-packed arrays of hemispherical nanowells with zeptoliter (zL)-volumes. Nanowells with diameters as small as 50 nm were used as reaction vessels for the preparation of individual inorganic salts and semiconducting nanocrystals in individual nanowells.
July 2004: Jeremy's work on nanocrystals in nanowells is highlighted in Nanopicture of the Day
July 2004: Jeremy's work on nanocrystals in nanowells is highlighted in "nanozone" in Nature Materials
June 2004: Jeremy's paper on nanowells (zeptoliter beakers) is published in Nano Letters
May 2004: Eric, Jeremy, and Liza pass their qualifying exams
May 2004: Postdoc Soo Kwak joins the lab
January 2004: Prof. Odom receives an NSF CAREER Award
October 2003: Prof. Odom receives a David and Lucile Packard Fellowship
