Research Projects

Nanoporous Gold

Nanoporous gold is an exciting new material.  Synthesized by selective dealloying of a gold/silver mixture, it is electrically conductive with high surface area. 

Many of the proposed uses of nanoporous gold require the use of molecular layers attached to the surface, so we are studying different types of molecular attachments to the nanoporous gold surface to understand how these molecular layers can be used in sensing applications.  By studying different types of attachments we can understand how the concave and convex portions of the surface can impart different intermolecular interactions and impact the response of the surface to analytes of interest.  

Mixed Self-Assembled Monolayers

Self-assembled monolayers on gold electrodes are a common way to alter the surface properties of gold.  However, there is little understanding of how molecular mixtures can be formed in this 2-D environment, particularly with chemically diverse molecules.   

We collaborate with the Avila group at Holy Cross to investigate 2-dimensional molecular mixtures on gold, combining imaging, spectroscopic, and electrochemical measurements to understand self-assembly.