Thin films are one of the most important

1. Making Nanocoatings Stronger with A Few Layers of AtomsDaeyeon Lee, University of Pennsylvania, DMR 1055594 Thin films are one of the most important structures that will enable the utilization of nanomaterial-based products for a variety of advanced applications including energy conversion and storage, electronics, optics, and biomedical applications. While the possibilities for fabricating multifunctional thin films are endless, one of the major bottlenecks that prevents the widespread use of nanoparticle thin films (NTFs) is their poor mechanical reliability and durability. Without mechanical reinforcement, these NTFs tend to fracture and abrade under small loads, making them unsuitable for commercial and industrial applications. In this study, we demonstrate that the mechanical durability of NTFs can be drastically improved using atomic layer deposition (ALD) at a relatively low temperature.

2. Philly Materials Day Exhibit Showcasing All-in-One NanocoatingsDaeyeon Lee, University of Pennsylvania, DMR 1055594 The Lee group presents an exhibit showcasing “All-in-One” nanoparticle coatings at the 2012 Philly Materials Science and Engineering Day held at Drexel University. Two undegraduate students (Jesi Kim and Amit Pujari) participated in Research Abroad program to perform summer research at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in Korea. The program provided the students with broadening their cultural and educational experience. Supported by NSF-NIST Interaction in Basic and Applied Scientific Research Supplemental Award, our group has initiated a collaboration with Dr. Chris Stafford’s group at NIST to investigate the water purification capability of nanocoatings.