Amorphous metal thin films lack the grain boundaries and dislocations present in
crystalline metal films. As a result, amorphous metal films can be more mechanically robust, atomically smooth, and more resistant to chemical attack than crystalline metals. However, amorphous metals are meta-stable and subject to crystallization upon heating, thus limiting...
The need for less toxic quantum dots (QDs) has led to a significant number of investigations related to copper indium sulfide (CIS) QDs. Lower toxicity and broad band absorbance width makes CIS QDs appealing for light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, sensors, bio-imaging, solar cells, and computing. The optical and electronic...
Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), primarily indium doped tin oxide, have been widely used in numerous fields since decades ago, such as solar cells, displays, OLEDs and ‘smart windows’ etc. Owing to the scarcity of indium, there is a great demand for new alternative materials. Metal/insulator/metal (MIM) diodes are a critical...
Performing bridge inspections can be a very daunting task for every department of transportation (DOT) in the country. Because the leading cause of deterioration in reinforced concrete bridge decks is corrosion of the steel reinforcement, the ability to detect the concentration of corrosion-causing chlorides in the concrete, using a non-destructive...
The continued development of organic semiconductor materials relies on an understanding of the relationship between optoelectronic properties, molecular structure, and molecular interaction. Several detailed studies of electronic properties in functionalized polyacene materials are presented. A computational model which allows the extraction of charge generation and transport properties from experimental data...
WLBU2 is an engineered cationic amphiphilic peptide that targets Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and envelopes endotoxin while avoiding other cell types. The exact mechanism of how WLBU2 targets, binds, and disrupts bacterial cell membranes is still not completely known. Thus, the overall goal of this investigation is to determine the...
The effects of steel reinforcement, chloride-induced corrosion initiation, cracking and delamination on the electrical resistivity measurements using the Wenner probe technique were studied experimentally on custom-designed reinforced concrete slabs. Investigation parameters included (1) probe configurations with respect to rebar mesh, (2) rebar density, (3) epoxy coating on the rebar, (4)...
The role of A-site non-stoichiometry was investigated in lead-free piezoelectric ceramics based on compositions in the 1-x(Bi₀.₅Na₀.₅TiO₃)-xBaTiO₃ system near the morphotropic phase boundary where x = 0.055, 0.06 and 0.07. The samples were prepared by a conventional solid state mixed oxide route with the A- site stoichiometry modified to incorporate...
While properties are extremely important from an application point of view, it is crucial to have a detailed understanding of the underlying structural influence. Once a concrete correlation between the structure and the observed property is established, rational design of novel materials with optimized properties can be realized. These optimized...
This thesis will cover my work relating to the developing field of terahertz (THz) science and technology. It will present experimental and theoretical studies investigating the optical and electrical properties of various material systems using novel THz imaging and spectroscopy techniques. Due to its low photon energy, THz imaging and...