US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Surface Properties of Semiconductor and Metallic Nanocrystals

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

0323617 Elsayed Description: This project supports a cooperative research project between Dr. Mostafa El-Sayed, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia and Dr. Hassan Talaat, Department of Physics, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. The project is to study the surface properties of semiconductor and metallic nanocrystals. A great deal of research is being carried out to synthesize and study the optical and nonradiative properties of metallic and semiconductor nanoparticles. Due to their small size, many of their properties are determined by the structural and dynamical properties of its surface. Yet these are the least studied and thus the least understood. The PI is being supported by the Division of Materials Research to synthesize and study the optical and nonradiative properties of these particles and their assemblies. The observed properties are very much surface dependent but it is not understood how the surface structure quantitatively affects the nanoparticle properties. There is need for understanding the structure and dynamical properties of the surfaces. The PIs propose to jointly study the surfaces of different semiconductor nanoparticles of different sizes and shapes. These have been synthesized and their optical and relaxation properties have been studied at Ga Tech and Ain Shams University. Self assembled semiconductor and metallic nanostructures will be used. The correlation between the optical and electronic relaxation properties and the surface properties could help us understand how the surface affects the different properties of nanostructured material. Scope: The project will enable young US scientists to learn about this new technique. In addition, their education about Egypt and its young people will be valuable. In addition, this collaborative research will give the young Egyptian students the opportunity to gain from carrying scientific research at Georgia Tech. The Egyptian collaborator, Dr. Hassan Talaat, received his graduate degrees in solid-state physics, and did post doctorate and higher training studies in the United States. He is carrying out an active research project in developing different Raman techniques to study the surface and the interfaces of semiconductor and metallic materials. Using surface plasmon polaritons, he is able to study the surface of metallic thin films. Thus the collaboration provides synergistic benefits.