Materials Engineering

INTERFACIAL ENGINEERING OF INTELLIGENT AND MULTIFUNCTIONAL MATERIALS

The central theme of my research is interfacial engineering—the design and control of interactions between dissimilar materials to create new functionalities and enable their integration into devices. My work spans organic/inorganic, metal/polymer, nanomaterial/substrate, and material/liquid interfaces, combining inorganic materials synthesis, polymer and colloidal systems, surface chemistry, and device fabrication.

I develop functional metallic, semiconductor, photonic, polymeric, and hybrid materials and investigate how their electrical, optical, mechanical, and acoustic properties emerge from material structure and interfacial interactions. A major focus of my research is translating these material-level properties into practical fabrication and integration strategies through surface functionalization, coating, deposition, printing, lithography, and other microfabrication processes.

My long-term research goal is to engineer intelligent materials and interfaces that bridge fundamental materials science with scalable device and manufacturing technologies, with applications ranging from semiconductor and optoelectronic devices to sensors and biomedical systems.

MATERIALS SYNTHESIS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR AND OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES

 
My research focuses on developing advanced electronic and photonic materials and engineering their interfaces for semiconductor and optoelectronic devices. I develop functional materials and fabrication processes, including coating, deposition, evaporation, printing, lithography, etching, and metal plating, to integrate interconnects, transistors, sensors, and light-emitting components into high-density, large-area device architectures. A central focus of my work is controlling metal/substrate and organic/inorganic interfaces through surface chemistry, functionalization, adhesion, and wettability.

I also investigate 0D, 1D, and 2D functional materials, including carbon-based materials, MXenes, metal halide perovskites, and rare-earth-containing photonic materials. By engineering their composition, nanostructure, and interfacial interactions, I develop conductive, semiconducting, and optical materials with transparency and environmental and mechanical stability for next-generation semiconductor, soft electronic, and wearable devices.

My research in this area focuses on the following topics, with publications [ ] indicating my lead-authored papers.

• Development and integration of 0D, 1D, and 2D semiconductor and photonic nanomaterials for highly integrated, large-area, transparent, deformable semiconductor and optoelectronic devices

[ACS Nano (2020), Nano Lett. (2021), Adv. Sci. (2021), ACS Nano (2022), Light-Sci. Appl. (2023), Adv. Opt. Mater. (2024)]  

• Interfacial engineering and 2D materials for functional devices with stability against mechanical deformation, humidity, and heat 

[ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces (2020), Adv. Funct. Mater. (2023), Adv. Sci. (2024), Adv. Healthcare Mater. (2025)]

• Soft dielectric and interfacial materials for wearable, self-powered energy harvester and tactile sensors

[Nano Energy (2018), Adv. Mater. (2018), Nano Energy (2022)]

OPTICALLY AND ACOUSTICALLY RESPONSIVE MATERIALS FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

My research also applies materials and interfacial engineering to functional materials for biomedical applications. Over more than three years in this area, I have engineered the optical, acoustic, electrical, and mechanical properties of nanostructured materials for biomedical agents and devices.

I have investigated UV- and near-infrared (NIR)-responsive materials, including metal halide perovskites, upconversion nanoparticles, MXenes, and covalent organic frameworks, focusing on their luminescent, photothermal, and energy-conversion properties. More recently, I have engineered hierarchically nanostructured materials and material–fluid interactions to develop ultrasound-responsive particles capable of trapping, manipulation, and transport under flowing and in vivo environments.

I have also developed biocompatible and conductive interfaces for implantable electrodes and functional nanomaterials for medical imaging and therapeutic delivery. These projects have provided hands-on experience in cytotoxicity evaluation, cell studies, and in vivo animal testing, while my core focus remains materials design, interfacial engineering, and structure–property relationships.

 My research in this field can be summarized as follows, with publications [ ] indicating my lead-authored papers related to each domain.

• Optically responsive photonic materials and energy conversion into thermal, mechanical, and other functional responses

[ACS Nano (2022), Adv. Funct. Mater. (2023), Adv. Opt. Mater. (2024), Adv. Mater. (2025)]

• Development of ultrasound-responsive smart materials for acoustic manipulation and biomedical applications [Adv. Mater. (2024)]

• Development of biocompatible and conductive material interfaces for Implantable electrodes

[Adv. Healthcare Mater. (2025)]