Research in the design, synthesis and self-assembly of inorganic nanoscale materials is important for the development of miniaturized nanodevices and nanopatterns for various optical, electronics, photonics, sensing, separation, biological and medical applications. In this talk, I will discuss my research group's effort on the following four major and complementary topics involving the synthesis and investigation of properties and potential applications of various multifunctional nanostructured materials. (1) The molecular integration of inorganic and organic groups in well-defined supramolecular systems as a route to various well-ordered nanostructured and nanoporous inorganic and inorganic-organic hybrid materials with novel catalytic, optical, and electronic properties will be described. Using self-assembly and sol-gel processing methods, we synthesize novel multifunctional nanomaterials with compositions that span a variety of inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid materials with diverse properties and potential applications for targeted drug delivery, treatment of cancer and efficient cooperative catalysis. (2) The use of these nanoporous materials as templates or hosts for various other inorganic, organometallic, and organic species as well as nanoparticles and nanowires for applications in dye or nanoparticle sensitized solar cells will also be discussed. (3) We developed new synthetic methods to novel corrugated and nanoporous metal oxide and core-shell nanostructures. By taking advantage of the structures and morphology of the materials, we demonstrated the potential of these materials for fabricating biosensors. (4) We have successfully used some of these materials for controlled release of large cargo of various drugs and as effective nanocytotoxic agents for killing different cancer cells, even more effectively than an FDA-approved anticancer agent, cis-platin, in solution. We hope that these results contribute to the development of nanotechnology.

Figure. Multifunctional Nanoscale Materials

References:

Asefa, T. et al. Nature, 1999, 402, 867; Asefa, T. et al., Langmuir, 2008, 24, 14306; Asefa, T. et al. J. Mater. Chem., 2008, 18, 5604; Asefa, T. et al. Catal. Lett., 2008, 126, 142;  Asefa, T. et al. J. Phys. Chem. C., 2008, 112, 9996; Asefa, T. et al.  Nano Lett., 2008, 8, 1517; Asefa, T. et al. J. Molecular Catal. A, 2008, 288, 1; Asefa, T. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2008, 130, 218; Asefa, T. et al. J. Inorg. Biochem., 2008, 102, 1416; Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2007, 46, 2879; Asefa, T. et al., Langmuir, 2007, 23, 9455-9462; Asefa et al., Adsorption, 2009, In Press.

Hosts: Ben Glasser, Eric Garfunkel, and Alan Goldman