IMRI Seminar: Exploiting Functional Materials

Abstract: My research interest ranges from the very fundamental to applications in electro-optics and biology. In this presentation, I will discuss the design, synthesis and characterization techniques of molecular solids, which are crystalline inorganic and/or organic materials of nanosize dimensions in which the molecules are held together in the lattice by weak intermolecular interactions. My goal is to understand these interactions and to use molecular design principles to control the self-assembly of molecules and their eventual arrangement in the crystal lattice. Knowledge of the factors that control the solid state structures may one day lead to the fabrication of materials with unique porosity (mainly nanomaterials e.g. nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanowires etc), optical nonlinearity, magnetism, conductivity and useful applications in the area of materials chemistry.  The controlled organization of nanoparticles into well-ordered two- and three-dimensional arrays is of crucial importance for the development of nanoelectronics. The directionality and reversibility of non-covalent bonds make them perfectly suitable to serve as linkers between nanoparticles. The self-organization of such structures also provides an efficient route to fabricate nanostructures on solid surfaces. 

Bio: Badruz Zaman received his doctorate in 1996 from the Institute for Molecular Sciences at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan. Then he underwent postdoctoral training at the University of South Carolina. In 2001, he joined the National Research Council of Canada as a visiting fellow and a Research Council officer. He has acquired more than 10 years of experience in managing a research group at the National Research Council of Canada and has conducted extensive research on supramolecular chemistry/functionalization of nanomaterials/quantum dots materials. He worked as a principal investigator at Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He was also an adjunct associate professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Laurentian University, Sudbury. Currently, he is working with the Department of National Defense, Government of Canada’s laboratory named Quality Engineering Test Establishment (QETE). His expertise is relevant to the chemical analysis tools used to analyze or measure the Canadian Army operational materials and to failure investigation of Canadian Army aircrafts/vehicles/equipment etc. He has also been supporting QETE with scientific review functions in advisory capacities.

Host: Xiaoqing Pan