Physics Colloquium - Thursday, Feb. 19th, 2009, 3:00 P.M.

Mustafa Akbulut
Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Princeton University

The physical and chemical properties of nanoparticles are often very different from those of the bulk materials, displaying some unique properties that depend on their size, shape, and surface functional groups. The unique and tunable properties of nanoparticles make them suitable for various applications such as quantum dot displays, transistors, chemical and pressure sensors, drug delivery systems, adhesion and friction modifiers, and protective layers/coatings. Most of these applications require well-ordered large structures or films, which can be created from smaller "building blocks". The research seminar will describe how the intermolecular and interparticle interactions depend upon the nanoparticle shape, size, and concentration and how the intermolecular and interparticle forces govern the assembly of such building blocks into nanostructures. In this context, specific examples of nanotechnological applications such as drug delivery and lubrication will be illustrated.