Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology

Center for Nature-inspired Technology, KINC

SEMINAR

Multifunctional Nanomaterials: From Rational Design and

Synthesis to Potential Applications in Catalysis, Solar Cells and

Nanomedicine

Tewodros(Teddy) Asefaine

Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers,

The State University of New Jersey

Date : 2013. 8. 12. PM 15:00-16:00

Place : E6-6, Lecture Room 119

Abstract: The development of novel nanomaterials with unique structures can lead to various miniaturized nanoscale devices and nanopatterned surfaces for various optical, electronics, photonics, catalysis, sensor, biological and medical applications. Furthermore, by using many of these materials, many fundamental studies at the nanoscale are possible. In this talk, efforts by my research group over the last few years on three different but related areas involving the development of various novel multifunctional nanomaterials will be discussed. In the first part, I will describe how the rational assembly of multifunctional groups on nanostructured materials composed of metal oxides, carbon nanofibers, and mesoporous silicas can lead to novel nanocatalysts with efficient catalytic activities towards different synergistic or multi-step in one-pot tandem reactions. Some of the advantageous features of rationally juxtaposing two or more functional groups within nanoscale cavities will be discussed by using catalysis as an example. In addition, I will demonstrate how some of the resulting nanocatalysts can be used in fixed bed reactors to enable selective continuous catalytic reactions. In the second part, I will describe the novel design and “nanostructuring” approaches we developed for making a series of core-shell nanomaterials that show efficient catalytic or electrocatalytic activities for alkane oxidation, water splitting and hydrogen evolution, and oxygen reduction reaction in fuel cells. Some of the unique properties of these materials were also utilized successfully in solar cells. Finally, I will describe the design and assembly of novel drug-delivery nanosystems composed of multifunctional nanoporous materials having high surface areas, tunable nanometer pores, and easily modifiable surface groups. Some of these materials possess improved adsorption capacity and controlled release property to anticancer drugs, and therefore exhibit enhanced cytotoxicity towards cancer cells. Nanotoxicology tests of the various nanomaterials we synthesized to murine tissues showed further structure-dependent biocompatibility (or cytotoxicity).

Contact : Dong Ki Yoon (T.1116)