Research
The NanoPower Research Labs has recieved over 13000 citations, an h-index of over 52 and an i10-index of 187.
Carbon Conductors and Advanced Battery Group
Dr. Landi is currently a Professor of Chemical Engineering, Energy Domain Lead for Ph.D. Engineering, and graduate faculty of Sustainability and Microsystems Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Dr. Landi has been Group Leader of the Carbon Conductors & Advanced Battery Group at the NanoPower Research Laboratories (NPRL) as part of RIT’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability since 2009. Dr. Landi has recently led pioneering research on advanced Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) wires, lithium ion batteries, coaxial cables, and solar cell contacts. Dr. Landi’s research efforts during the last 5 years have translated into more than $13.6M of sponsored research with ~$8M as Principal investigator (PI) of 19 different programs from corporate and government sponsors and ~$5M as Co-PI on 9 programs. Over the last 5 years, he has supported 34 undergraduate, 8 graduate, and 6 postdoctoral fellows. In total, he is the co-author of more than 100 publications; with more than 50 during the last 5 years.
Energy Storage and Water Desalination
Access to the affordable and sustainable clean energy and water are becoming increasingly important for modern society. Many cutting-edge techniques aim to provide more efficient and low-cost clean water and energy. However, the lack of understanding to many fundamental problems hinder the practical applications of these techniques, which usually originate from the complicated multi-physical couplings spanning across multi-scale. Tu’s team targets on developing innovative technologies for energy storage systems (such as solid-state batteries) and water desalination systems (such as reverse osmosis and capacitive deionization), with the close-loop data-simulation-experiment approach. His research focuses on the investigation of electro-chemo-mechanical problems laying behind these applications, including the heterogeneous transport and reactions of electrons and Li-ions in the solid-state batteries, the understanding of dendrite problem.
Epitaxially-Integrated Nanoscale Systems Laboratory (Nanowire Devices)
The Epitaxially-Integrated Nanoscale Systems” (EINS) lab focuses on applied physics and engineering at the nanometer scale. At the core of our research is the atomic-level assembly or epitaxy of III-V compound semiconductors by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). We investigate the monolithic integration and manipulation of III-V nanocrystals on a wide variety of functional, foreign, and flexible platforms, including graphene, metallic foils, carbon-nanotubes, monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, as well as conventional substrates such Si and III-V wafers. We explore the novel structural, optical, and electrical properties of our nanostructures through extensive materials characterization experiments, and we employ unique nano-fabrication processes, such as metal-assisted chemical etching, to develop innovative devices for applications in photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and Nanoelectronics.”
Metal-halide Perovskite Semiconductors
Solution-casting of electronic devices involves conversion of the semiconductor ink into a thin film using any of a variety of scalable coating techniques: blade coating, slot-die coating, spray coating, gravure coating, ink-jet printing, etc. As the ink building blocks – atoms, molecules, polymers, metal oxides, perovskites, nanocrystals – come closer and pack, interfacial and structural complexity increases. As such, solution coating/printing currently lacks the quality control achievable with the conventional time-consuming single crystal growth platforms that enable defect-free forms of matter. The challenge is to achieve single crystal-like performances in printed electronics without compromising ease of manufacturing. Establishing quality control for printed electronics is key to achieving this goal. Exquisite control over the coating process can result in non-equilibrium crystal growth and film structures with extraordinary electronic and optoelectronic properties. Photoemission Spectroscopy (PES) is a highly surface-sensitive characterization technique to probe film interfaces that define charge extraction. Microstructure of the resulting film can be explored using synchrotron-based Grazing Incidence X-ray Scattering (GIXS) techniques. Interfacial and structural diagnostics complement each other by revealing film interfaces and microstructure – the two key aspects that define device performance – and can combinedly deliver the much-needed quality control printed electronics requires for market entry.
Nano-Micro Materials, Devices, and Sensors
Dr. Puchades current research interests include collaborations to explore high frequency and sensing applications of new materials such as carbon nanotubes and other nanomaterials (graphene, 2D metal chalcogenides, phosphorenes, borophene, nanowires, 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) heterostructures, etc.). He is also interested in expanding research and development of MEMS devices and applications of thermal, electrostatic and piezoelectric MEMS resonators, piezoelectric energy harvesting, multi-sensor networks, and system integration.
Nanostructured Photovoltaics and Photonics Laboratories (NanoPV)
Dr. Hubbard leads the Photovoltaics and Photonics Research Group. The mission of our research group is to accelerate scientific breakthroughs in the discovery of materials and structures that will advance the frontier of the conversion of light to electricity (photovoltaics) and electricity to light (lasers and LEDs). Our research program opens new and exciting directions in the discovery of advanced materials and nanostructures to harvest energy or produce light. Our photovoltaic projects aim to increase photovoltaic power conversion efficiency and/or reduce materials costs and consumption through the use of novel materials or processing methods. Our optoelectronic projects develop new techniques (such as transfer printing) or material processes to enhance quantum efficiency and light extraction. Our activities encompass materials synthesis, device fabrication, material and device modeling, as well as characterization both at the electrical and materials level. The team’s specific expertise lies in vapor phase epitaxy (VPE) of III-V devices and nanostructures, novel photovoltaic and optical structure growth and design and all forms of optoelectronic characterization and simulation.
Organic Photovoltaics Design and Development Laboratory (OP-D2)
Dr. Chris Collison is a Professor in the School of Chemistry and Materials Science in the College of Science, a core faculty member in the Microsystems PhD Program in KGCOE and an Extended Faculty in Materials Science and Engineering. He holds a BSc and PhD in Chemistry from Imperial College, London and a Diploma of Imperial College in Photophysics. In his doctoral research under Dr. Garry Rumbles he discovered the first direct evidence for luminescent interchain states in a conjugated polymer. In 1996, As a post-doctoral research fellow mentored by Dr. Lewis Rothberg, Chris worked with transient absorption, aggregation phenomena, and conjugated polymers for organic LEDs. Chris Joined RIT in 2004 after an appointment as Photophysics Research Scientist at the University of Rochester and an industrial position as Applications Scientist at Newport Corporation (Richardson Gratings).
Chris' research thrust is the design and development of organic solar cells using computational theory, spectroscopy and device manufacture, engineering and testing. Chris is the director of the RIT-OPV Research Experience for Undergraduates program. He is approaching $1M in external funding. He has been the advisor to 32 undergraduate research students (16 are co-authors on peer-reviewed publications), 10 MS students and 2 PhD students. Chris has published more than 20 journal articles collectively cited over 1300 times, he teaches courses in physical chemistry and molecular photophysics, and received the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring, RIT 2013. In 2023, Christopher Collison was appointed to the Jane King Harris Endowed Professorship by College of Science Dean Andre Hudson.
Photovoltaics and Energy Harvesting
Dr. Polly directs the RIT III-V EPICenter, and is thus involved in all aspects of crystal growth using our Aixtron close-coupled showerhead metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) reactor. The associated material science and characterization of these optoelectronic materials and devices is critical to successful research and development, which includes high resolution x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and Hall effect, to name a few. Additionally, the development of Python code to calculate, simulate, and predict material and device performance, as well as automate testing equipment, is of particular interest. Active projects range from improving efficiency of photovoltaics or light emitting diodes based on GaAs and InGaP, small-batch production of diodes or quantum well lasers on InGaAs and InP, or development of novel III-V optoelectronic structures on GaSb, including a range of associated ternary and quaternary materials bridging these common substrates. Recently, thermoradiative cells, used to convert heat into electricity by rejecting photons into a cold environment, is under investigation under a grant from the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.