Faculty Investigator, IRG 1

Structuring materials on the nanoscale presents new opportunities to develop functionality not found in homogeneous, single-component materials. In the Milliron group, chemically synthesized inorganic nanocrystals enable investigation of how confined volumes and abundant interfaces fundamentally change optical, electronic, and electrochemical properties. These nanostructuring effects offer distinctive opportunities to harness energy and reach complex performance requirements for technologies like electrochromic smart windows, batteries, fuel cells, and solar cells. Colloidal nanocrystals are synthesized and processed in solution, enabling integration in flexible formats and scalable, low-cost, low-embodied-energy manufacturing. To analyze the structure, dynamics, and properties of assembled nanostructured materials, we use a combination of electron microscopy, wide and small angle x-ray scattering, and optical and x-ray spectroscopies under both static and in situ conditions.