Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Because of quantum confinement effects, crystalline nanomaterials exhibit low-dimensional (1D and 2D) properties that are distinct from that of bulk crystals. When controlled on the nanometre scale, this confinement can be used to e.g. tune the bandgap energy, improve electrical or thermal conductivity, enhance light-matter interaction, and serve as a platform for chemical sensing. The program of the Chair on Electroactive Nanostructures and Interfaces aims at conducting fundamental and applied research on low-dimensional materials. Using advanced spectroscopy and chemical functionalization, the work will explore more specifically nanostructures made of black phosphorus, graphene, nanotubes (CNTs), and other nanohybrid structures made of these building blocks. The projects of the CRC will target three main areas of this research: 1) Nanotube-based nanohybrids; 2) Resonances in 2D materials and nanomembranes; 3) Development of Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy for the Low-Energy Electron Microscope. This program will investigate electron emission from nanotubes, optical properties of dyes-nanotube nanohybrids and advanced 2D membranes for sensing. The proposed projects are interdisciplinary in nature and blend concepts borrowed from the surface and interfacial chemistry, nanoscience, and solid-state physics. Through this experimental research, the chair will advance basic knowledge on nanomaterials and challenge the resolution limits of spectromicroscopy using low-energy electron microscopes. Finally, this program serves as the main training platform for highly qualified personnel working on electronic materials and device and supports a state-of-the-art infrastructure for nanoscience.