Research

Research Projects:

Our research group is interested in synthesizing new inorganic and inorganic-organic hybrid compounds with applications in materials, energy, and environment, and the study of their structure-property relationship using both experimental and computational methods.

Project 1: Noncentrosymmetric Compounds

Noncentrosymmetric (NCS) compounds, which lack an inversion center in their lattice structure, possess distinctive electronic and optical properties, such as second-harmonic generation (SHG), ferroelectricity, and more. Our group is focused on growing crystals of NCS compounds using methods like hydrothermal synthesis, flux solid-state techniques, and top-seed solution growth processes.

Project 2: Uranium Nanoclusters

By assembling simple uranyl ions into nanoscale cage clusters, we aim to develop a new approach for recovering uranium from nuclear waste, such as spent nuclear fuel. This method has the potential to enhance the efficiency of electricity production while reducing the volume of high-level waste that needs to be disposed of. Additionally, we plan to apply machine learning algorithms to study the formation and crystallization of uranium nanoclusters.

Research Facilities:

Our laboratory is equipped with multiple furnaces for hydrothermal, solvothermal, salt-flux, top-seeded solution growth (TSSG), and microwave synthesis. We also house single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM-EDS, and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy to characterize the crystal structures, compositions, and properties of the prepared samples. Through collaborations, we have access to additional techniques, including FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, TGA, DLS, BET, SQUID magnetometry, SHG measurements, conductivity testing, and DFT calculations.