Self-Assembled Nanoparticle Array for Spintronics and High Frequency Materials DMR-0547036 PI: Hao Zeng

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Self-Assembled Nanoparticle Array for Spintronics
and High Frequency MaterialsDMR-0547036

PI Hao Zeng

• We have developed a general strategy for
  synthesizing binary and ternary hybrid
  nanoparticles, which combines magnetic, metallic
  and semiconducting components. The
  magnetic-metallic binary particles can also be
  used as seeds to grow semiconductor nanorods. For
  the figure to the right, the background images
  show PbSe nanorods (top), and ternary
  Fe3O4-Au-PbSe hybrid nanocrystals (bottom).
  High-resolution TEM images in the front show
  Fe3O4(gray)-Au(gold)-PbSe(green) ternary
  nanocrystals. A ball-and-stick cartoon model
  illustrates the approximate size of these
  structures relative to the individual atoms. The
  scale bars are 50 and 4 nm (approximately) for
  low and high resolution images, respectively.
• The magnetic, optical and semiconducting
  properties of the components within the hybrid
  nanostructures can be independently tailored
  these properties are also tightly integrated due
  to the existence of common interfaces moreover,
  when self-assembled into an array, entirely new
  properties can arise due to the cooperative
  interactions between the components. This work
  may lead to the development of novel
  multifunctional materials, with broad
  applications in data storage, nanoscale
  electronics and biological markers.

W.L. Shi, Y. Sahoo and Hao Zeng, et al.,
Anisotropic growth of PbSe nanocrystals on
Au-Fe3O4 hybrid nanoparticles, Advanced
Materials 14, 1889, 2006, inside Front Cover
article.
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Self-Assembled Nanoparticle Array for Spintronics
and High Frequency MaterialsDMR-0547036

PI Hao Zeng

• Undergraduate Introductory Physics Course Upon
  the PIs request, he has been assigned to teach
  large introductory physics courses to both
  non-science and science majors. He has adopted
  multiple approaches to enhance the courses,
  including using the peer instruction technique,
  incorporating research experience and using
  examples that connect to students experiences,
  and implementing a monitoring system to
  automatically track the individual progress and
  offering help to those who are most in need.
• Undergraduate student seminar The PI is
  participating in UB UE141 Freshman Seminar
  Series. This program offers a small class
  experience for first-year students, providing
  them with the opportunity to engage with faculty
  members in a congenial, academic setting. This
  program seeks to introduce students to the
  exciting intellectual atmosphere of UB, helping
  them to explore areas of interest and broaden
  their academic horizons. The PI will lecture on
  the growth of nanoparticles with chemical routes.
• Outreach program The PI has targeted the Native
  American Magnet School for his outreach efforts.
  This is a K-8 middle school with 90 percent of
  its students being minorities and living at or
  below the poverty level. Working closely with the
  science teacher Heather Maciejewski, the PI will
  develop lectures incorporating research, yet with
  their topics aligned with physical sciences
  curriculum and New York State standards develop
  hands-on science experiments for either the
  classroom or after school program. For example,
  simple synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles and
  observation of their response to a permanent
  magnet under optical microscopes and arrange
  student visits to UB, during which they will tour
  several science labs, use TEM to image
  nanoparticles they made and take home with them
  pictures to show to their friends, and given a
  guided tour of the Physics and Arts exhibition
  located in the physics department.