Research

My PhD research was based on increasing the thermal stability of Au nanomaterials for their use in thermoplasmonic applications. This involved:

• Investigating the effects of laser heating on Au thin films; specifically solid-state dewetting and delamination
• Comparing different methods for increasing the thermal stability of Au films, and their effects on other material properties

This work was funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Advanced Storage Technology Consortium (ASTC)

As part of my Undergraduate studies, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to partake in 3 different research projects: 2 as part of Summer internships, and 1 as part of my Undergraduate degree.

• Summer 2012: investigated Au nanoparticle/polymer composites for use in medical devices. Under the supervision of Prof. Yurii Gun'ko at Trinity College Dublin.
• Summer 2013: worked on the synthesis and optical properties of porphoryn nanorods. Under the supervision of Dr. James Rice at University College Dublin.
• Winter 2013: studied the plasmonic properties of AuCu nanoparticles fabricated by microwave-assisted synthesis. Under the supervison of Prof. Klaus Rademann at Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin.