Surfaces and interfaces have played a critical role in many developments in technologically important research areas. The current explosion of research on microscale and nanoscale systems places lot of emphasis on the role of surface and interface properties.

Dr. Jayeeta Lahiri is interested in investigating the properties of surfaces, interfaces of nanostructures to gain a better understanding of their functionalities. Her research work is focused on designing, synthesizing and characterizing low dimensional functional materials and their nanostructures for electronic and energy related applications. In particular, she is interested in studying the properties of 2D layered materials like graphene, h-BN, MoS2, WS2, 1D materials like graphene nanoribbons, carbon nanotubes and 0D materials like carbon quantum dots. Her research interest can be categorized in three major thrust areas: Functional Nanomaterials, heterostructures based on 2D materials, defect engineering of 2D materials, and chemical functionalization of graphene nanoribbons.

 Functional Carbon Nanomaterials for chemical sensors 

Nanomaterials are a versatile group of materials that are being used to address many complex engineering problems in our world today. We exploring multidimensional carbon materials like zero-dimensional carbon quantum dots, one-dimensional carbon nano/micro fibers and graphene nanoribbons, two-dimensional graphene and its derivatives for potential application in sensor and communication technology. We fabricate fluorescent carbon nanomaterials for the optical detection of contaminants in water, and bioimaging. We are trying to tune the emission of these nanoparticles by doping or functionalizing so that we get fluorescence in the NIR region. 

2D nanomaterials for electromagnetic interference shielding   

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) occurs when electromagnetic waves cause interference among various circuits and devices operating in proximity.  The widespread use of wireless communication systems, (radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, television broadcast systems, GPS systems, and more), and telecommunication devices (smartphones, tablets, and laptops) in our everyday life has led to surge in EMI.  EMI shielding materials are employed to protect sensitive electronic devices from undesirable electromagnetic radiation by either reflecting or absorbing the incoming radiation. The reflectance or absorbance of the shielding materials is determined by the electrical conductivity, magnetic permeability, frequency, and thickness of the materials. Shielding materials have been designed for blocking radiowave, microwave, and even cosmic radiation. We are exploring 2D materials like hexagonal Boron Nitride application and its polymer composites as EMI shielding materials for microwave and THz radiation. 

 Heterostructures based on two dimensional material  

Tremendous progress in graphene research has rekindled research in 2D layered materials like transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), transition metal oxides(TMOs) due to their exotic properties. Two-dimensional materials can be assembled in 3D heterostructures that do not exist in nature, with physical properties distinct from the parent material which can be tuned precisely. The first step in this process is to synthesize 2D materials, and stack them to develop 3D materials. Their properties can be modified by changing the stacking order or by stacking functionalized layers of these 2D materials. We are synthesizing vertical heterostructures of graphene and hexagonal Boron Nitride using sequential Chemical Vapor Deposition.

  Defect engineering of two dimensional materials  

The operation of many modern devices depend on the optimization of the electrical, optical, chemical and other properties of the functional materials used in the devices.These properties strongly depend on the presence of defects in the materials i.e.on the concentration and arrangement of defects of various dimensions (point defects, extended defects, vacancies and more). The effect of defect on the properties of 2D materials is more pronounced compared to their 3D counterparts. At the nanoscale defects can thus be used to tune the properties of these 2D materials.