News

VINSE faculty member Piran Kidambi has been named the 2023 Vice Chair Center for the Center for Nanophase Materials Science User Executive Committee. After he serves his term as the Vice Chair, he will step up as the Chair of the 2024 committee. The Center for Nanophase Materials Science… Read More

Two Vanderbilt faculty who conducted translational research have received the distinction of Best Invention of 2022 from TIME magazine. TIME’s Best Inventions of 2022 Cover “These winning innovations exemplify the transformative potential of university research when it aims to solve society’s most urgent problems, and when universities partner with the broader innovation… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Madeleine Fort, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Dr. Janet Macdonald “Improving Charge Separation and Transfer in Semiconducting Nanocrystalline Materials” 12.07.22 | 11:30am CST | 5502 Stevenson Center This thesis examines charge transfer from semiconductor nanocrystals. A discussion of charge transfer mechanisms and their importance to… Read More

About the author: Romario Lobban is currently a PhD student advised by Dr. Leon Bellan. His research focuses on new applications of physically-crosslinked thermoresponsive polymer hydrogels. In the featured publication, Romario and co-authors show that physically-crosslinked thermoresponsive polymer hydrogels can be used as temperature dependent carriers that allow… Read More

9th Annual VINSE Student Selected Seminar Series Peidong Yang S.K. and Angela Chan Distinguished Chair in Energy Department of Chemistry, MSE, University of California, Berkeley Senior Faculty Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory “Nanowire (Bio)photoelecrochemistry” 04.05.23  |  11:30  |  044/048 ESB *lunch provided Abstract. Wires of different forms… Read More

25 Middle Tennessee High Schools representing 14 Middle TN counties have signed up to participate in the VINSE high school field trip program. Groups of up to 20 from each school will to visit our facilities, perform an experiment, utilize our electron microscope, and learn about nanotechnology and energy during a… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Joseph Matson, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Dr. Josh Caldwell “Gaining Nanophotonic Control through Crystalline Anisotropy” 12.05.22 | 3:00pm CST | 048 Engineering Science Building  |  Zoom Infrared (IR) optics form the basis for many important applications, including chemical spectroscopy for pharmaceuticals, medical testing, environmental… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Nathan Spear, Interdisciplinary Materials Science *under the direction of Dr. Janet Macdonald & Dr. Richard Haglund “Enhanced Plasmonic Upconversion in Coupled Metal-Semiconductor Nanoparticle Films” 12.06.22 | 11:00am CST | 132 Olin Hall A large class of nonlinear materials show enhanced harmonic generation by exciting the localized surface plasmonic… Read More

DISSERTATION DEFENSE Christopher Sharp, Chemistry *under the direction of Dr. Janet Macdonald “Cation Exchange in Nanocrystals Towards Novel Ternary Copper Chalcogens” 12.02.22 | 1:00pm CST | 202 Light Hall (RLH) | Zoom This thesis concerns the synthesis of copper chalcogen nanocrystals through cation exchange with focus on ternary intermediate and final products. Read More

About the author: Ryan Kowalski is a fourth-year graduate student pursuing a PhD in Interdisciplinary Materials Science under the direction Dr. Josh Caldwell. Using infrared spectroscopy, the Caldwell group investigates the optical properties of semiconductor materials for optoelectronic devices. Ryan’s recent publication in Advanced Optical Materials characterizes the… Read More