Amphiphilic Polymer Co-Networks (APCNs) are an exciting class of soft materials composed of interconnected hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymer chains. This unique architecture enables them to combine the swelling ability of hydrogels with the mechanical robustness of elastomers. APCNs exhibit remarkable properties, including high mechanical strength, tunable permeability, and environmental responsiveness, making them ideal for a variety of advanced applications. From drug delivery systems and soft robotics to membranes and wearable electronics, APCNs offer versatile solutions where flexible and durable materials are required. Their hybrid nature also allows for precise control over physical and chemical properties through molecular design and synthesis. 

Relevant Publications: Nano Energy, 76, 105039., Advanced Energy Materials, 2200441, Advanced Energy Materials, e04273,  Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9(46), 25974-25981   

Photonic Energy Transfer refers to the movement of energy between systems through the interaction of photons without the direct exchange of particles (like charges). It plays a central role in many natural and artificial processes, such as light harvesting and optoelectronic device operation. Mechanisms like Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) allow excitons to transfer energy efficiently across sub-10-nanometer distances, enabling advanced applications in sensing, imaging, photovoltaics, and energy conversion technologies. By precisely engineering materials and interfaces, photonic energy transfer can be optimized to enhance light-matter interactions, leading to improved performance in solar cells, LEDs, and next-generation photonic devices.

Relevant Publications: Nano Energy, 76, 105039., Advanced Energy Materials, 2200441, Advanced Energy Materials, e04273, Chemistry of Materials, 30(5), 1769-1775, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 787, 440-447., 

Light harvesting is the process of capturing and utilizing light energy, often to drive chemical, biological, or electronic processes. Inspired by natural photosynthesis, light-harvesting systems aim to absorb photons efficiently and convert their energy into useful forms, such as photons (luminescent solar concentrators), electrons (solar cells), or chemicals (solar fuels). In artificial systems, materials like organic semiconductors, halide-perovskites, and nanostructures are engineered to maximize absorption across a broad range of the solar spectrum. Efficient light harvesting is essential for advancing technologies such as solar cells, photocatalysis, and optical sensors. Through careful design of molecular structures and device architectures, light-harvesting efficiency can be significantly enhanced. 

Relevant Publications:  Nano Energy, 76, 105039., Advanced Energy Materials, 2200441, Advanced Energy Materials, e04273, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9(46), 25974-25981,  Materials & Design, 189, 108518., Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science, 25(3), 100912. 

Organic solar cells (OSCs) and metal–halide perovskite solar cells are two leading thin-film photovoltaic technologies that convert sunlight into electricity using solution-processable semiconductors. OSCs employ carbon-based donor–acceptor materials, enabling lightweight, flexible devices that can be fabricated via scalable coating/printing, with performance enhanced by molecular design (e.g., donor–acceptor polymers and non-fullerene acceptors) to tune absorption, energetics, and morphology. Perovskite solar cells, in contrast, use ABX₃ metal–halide absorbers that offer strong optical absorption, long carrier diffusion lengths, and defect tolerance, supporting high efficiencies in both single-junction and tandem architectures. Together, these platforms provide complementary routes toward low-temperature, large-area manufacturing and form factors not easily accessible to silicon, including semi-transparent modules, building-integrated photovoltaics, and lightweight portable power. 

Relevant Publications: Advanced Energy Materials, e04273,  ACS Energy Materials, 10 (9),4712-4721, 2025, ACS Applied Energy Materials 8 (2), 1220-1229, Materials Today Energy, 101979 

Building on our expertise in photonic energy transfer and optoelectronics, we extend our “soft-matrix templated functional materials” strategy to X-ray detection via both scintillators and direct-conversion detectors. In X-ray scintillation, high-energy photons are absorbed to generate hot carriers/excitons that relax and emit visible/UV photons; our focus is to use APCN-type soft, phase-segregated matrices as a controllable host to regulate energy deposition pathways, suppress quenching/defect capture, and enable stable, processable composite scintillators that can be coupled to Si photodiodes or CMOS imagers for high-sensitivity imaging. In parallel, direct detectors convert X-rays into mobile charges within a photoconductor, where charge collection (mobility–lifetime product, trap density, dark current) dictates sensitivity and spatial resolution; here we target hybrid organic–inorganic architectures that leverage polymer confinement and interfacial engineering to tune charge transport, mitigate ion migration and polarization, and open routes toward large-area, flexible, and manufacturable X-ray detector platforms. 

Relevant Publications: Advanced Materials, e12302., more to come :-)

Hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposites combine the structural versatility of organic polymers with the functional properties of inorganic nanomaterials. By integrating components at the nanoscale, these materials exhibit synergistic characteristics, such as enhanced mechanical strength, tunable optical and electronic behavior, and improved chemical stability. The organic phase provides flexibility, processability, and compatibility with diverse applications, while the inorganic phase contributes rigidity, conductivity, or photonic functionality. This hybrid approach enables advanced applications in energy harvesting, catalysis, sensing, and biomedicine. Precise control of interfacial interactions and nanoscale architecture is critical for optimizing performance and unlocking novel functionalities in emerging technologies.

Relevant Publications