Navigation

Recent Publications

More...

Home

Optoelectronic properties of carbon nanomaterials hybrids

timlohk - Posted on 08 April 2013

Project Description: 

To synthesize new materials to make hybrids with carbon nanomaterials and make new optoelectronic devices using these new materials. The optelectronic properties are investigated by advanced atomic force microscopic techniques, such as electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) and the photoconductive atomic force microscopy (PCAFM). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to elucidate the conformations of the hybrids and may be useful to explain the microscopic experimental data. Rigorous statistical analysis of the experimental is performed to draw robust conclusions.

Researcher name: 
Chan, Wai Kin
Researcher position: 
Professor
Researcher department: 
Department of Chemistry
Researcher email: 
waichan@hku.hk
Research Project Details
Project Duration: 
09/2010 to 12/2017
Project Significance: 
The new materials have the potential to miniaturize light detectors and sensors. The application of advanced statistical analysis on the microscopic experimental data lays the groundwork for rigorous data analysis of EFM and PCAFM data in the future. The work was supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (HKU700311P, 700613P and T23-713/11). Partial financial support by the Hong Kong/Macao Scholar Collaborative Research Scheme, NSFC, China (project no. 51328302) is also acknowledged.
Results Achieved: 
A conjugated polyelectrolyte in the conjugated polyelectrolyte/MWCNT hybrid was successfully detected by EFM and the results were explained by MD simulations. The photoconductivity enhancement and the charge transport properties of the conjugated polyelectrolyte/MWCNT hybrid were investigated by PCAFM. The results have been published in J. Mater. Chem. C, 2014, 2, 7739–7751. Two chapters about this project have been included in the thesis. Another paper about the charge transport properties of ruthenium-containing diblock copolymers is being prepared. In this paper, MD simulations are utilized to analyze the charge transport properties.
Remarks: 
The force field of the MD simulations was developed by parametrization of molecules performed in Gaussian 09. The MD simulations were performed by NAMD and the MD data were analyzed by VMD. Some contact mechanical equations were solved by Matlab. Some outlier tests were performed in R.