The group has pioneered the use of single-crystal, atomically planar electrodes in electrochemistry and in situ STM/AFM with accompanying theoretical frames in bioelectrochemistry, mapping single complex molecules, metalloprotein conductivity, metalloenzyme catalysis, and DNA electronics DNA, FNU.
The figures illustrate the basic principles of electrochemical in situ STM and AFM, top row, as well as the amazing resolution achieved for self-assembled molecular monolayers and large biomolecules in action, middle row. The bottom row shows schematically the blur copper protein azurin immobilized on an atomically planar electrode surfaces either via a gold nanoparticle or via a molecular linker, left, an in situ STM image in which both the azurin/hybrid and free azurin molecules are visible, middle, and a novel hybrid material sample composed of graphene and Prussian Blue nanoparticles, right.
The group has initiated major research in non-traditional electrochemical electrode materials science: FTP project Jingdong, FTP project Qijin Chi and Electronanomat. These are based on the group’s introduction of novel chemical synthesis methods for graphene materials (FTP project Jingdong and Electronanomat) and a variety of nanoscale particles, flower, core-shell, and nanoporous metallic structures using mild, or “green” synthesis conditions (FTP project Qijin Chi). The metallic structures have been combined with two- and three-dimensional graphene structures into composite hybrid materials, characterized broadly by sophisticated techniques including in situ STM and AFM.
The new electrode materials, characterized to the nanoscale and sometimes even atomic level have proven highly suitable as both as supercapacitor targets and for enzyme immobilization and stable high-resolution enzyme biosensing. These attractive properties have attracted company interest. The group’s nanoscale electrochemical materials science is now being extended in various directions that include:
• Chemical preparation, high-resolution characterization, and properties of 2D and 3D graphene, functionalized graphene, and graphene/metallic hybrid nanomaterials.
• Preparation, high-resolution characterization, and properties of platinum, gold, and core-shell nanoparticles of controlled size (2-100 nm) and shape (spherical. cubic, flowers, wires, sheets) as well as nanoporous gold characterized to sub-nanometer resolution.
• Platinum, gold, and core-shell metallic nanostructures (2-100 nm) as fuel cell catalysts.
• Chemically prepared metallic nanostructures and graphene-based pure and hybrid materials as non-traditional electrochemical electrode materials in supercapacitors and in biofuel cells where enzymes or whole bacterial cells act as the electrocatalysts.
The figure illustrates the working principles of electrochemical in situ STM and AFM as well as examples of the group’s recent results.
These are presented more detailed via the links.