The webpage for Chem 333, 334 (Pchem labs) and Materials Science (MatS 571) can be found at http://www. wsu.edu/~pchemlab
Photoelectron Spectroscopy Techniques: X-rays (XPS), Electron (Auger) and Ultraviolet (UPS)
Scanning Probe Microscopy: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM)
STM image of co-deposited F16CoPc and NiTPP AFM image of P3HT spin cast of Si AFM image of C60(CN)2 spin cast on Si
Research Interests
Topics of study:
1. Fuel cells using bimetallic materials (Cu, Ni, Co, Au and Ag as supporting materials) and Pd as active surface for electro-oxidation of formic acid. This research is conducted in collaboration with Prof. Su Ha (chemical engineering, WSU) and Prof. Sheng Dai (chemistry, UT). The synthesis of bimetallic core-shell structures is an important portion of this research. These systems are investigated by AFM, XPS/UPS, TEM, XRD, and CV and CA.
Students: Graduate student (Shuozhen Hu)
Three undergraduate students (Andrew Anten, Christopher Hedlund and Shelby Nerison )
They are working on this project which is supported by a three year NSF grant. These bimetallic surfaces show important improvement in electro-oxidation of Formic acid and enhanced lifetime activity.
These results could have an important technological impact in the construction of new direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFC).
2. A variety of polymeric and hybrid nanocomposites materials are also investigated by XPS/UPS and AFM (WSU). Organic photovoltaic devices are made at the University of Virginia and parameters such as Voc, Isc etc... are measured.
Films of P3HT, PCBM and other organic polymers as well as their blend are spin cast on n-type Si and ITO and then analyzed at WSU by XPS and UPS. Spectroscopic information allows the construction of energy band diagrams that are used to study organic heterojunctions.
Collaboration with Prof. Mool Gupta's group (University of Virginia) allows a) the measurement of parameters such as Voc, Isc etc... on devices made at the University of Virginia and b) the spectroscopic measurements of energy levels at WSU on the same films used for the devices.
We are specifically interested in understanding the performance and stability of bulk organic HJ devices as a function of temperature and illumination, and using different polymers (as donor and/or as acceptor) to evaluate devices performance.
Students: Graduate student, Yang Shen (UV)
Undergraduate student, Alex Sanchez (WSU)
They are both currently working on these projects.
3. Deposition of metallic thin film on semiconductors by galvanic displacement is also a topic of interest. This research is conducted in collaboration with the University of Idaho (Prof. Peter Griffiths).
4. Cold atmospheric pressure plasma polymerization of acetylene. This research is conducted in collaboration with the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Prof. Pat Pedrow), the Composite Materials and Engineering Center (Dr. Karl Englund) at WSU.
Student: Graduate student (William Lekobou)
5. AFM imaging of bovine blood cells (normal and infected by Babesia) is an ongoing study in collaboration with the USDA/Vet school at WSU (Dr. Suarez).
Students: A high school (Wendoline de Jesus Mercado) and undergraduate (Odysseus Rodriguez) students are currently generating AFM images of erythrocytes and free merozoites.
Fields of expertise: Microscopy and Spectroscopy (XPS/Auger/UPS, SPM, FTIR, Raman, TGA/DSC and SEM/EDS, AFM and STM). A list of publications is given in Link 2.
Furthermore, I have been extending the use of the chemistry spectroscopic facilities (XPS/Auger/UPS, SPM, IR, Raman, TGA/DSC and SEM/EDS) to outside high tech companies and Universities (Link 1).
This page in maintained by Prof. Louis Scudiero.
