The self-assembly of quantum dots (QDs) in thin solid films is an important area of nanotechnology with many relevant applications. In the present thesis, three problems related to the growth and self-assembly of QDs are investigated.
In Chapter 1, a new instability mechanism for the formation of QDs associated with...
Living organisms grow precisely controlled assemblies of inorganic crystals using organic substrates. This observation has inspired the strategy of using synthetic organic templates for the growth of tailored inorganic thin films. It has been previously shown that monomolecular organic layers floating on supersaturated aqueous subphases (Langmuir monolayers) select the structure...
Recent assessment of material property requirements for blast resistant applications, especially for the naval ship hulls, has defined the need to design steels with high stretch ductility and fragment penetration resistance, along with high strength and adequate toughness. Using a system based computational materials design approach, two series of austenitic...
This dissertation examines growth of platinum nanoparticles from vapor deposition on SrTiO3 using a characterization approach that combines imaging techniques and X-ray methods. The primary suite of characterization probes includes atomic force microscopy (AFM), grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy...
Self-assembly is an important process in biological system to build various bioactive structures from small amphiphilic molecules. The structural versatility of amphiphile self- assembly also provides a unique platform for the design of functional soft materials with controllable structural features. However, little is known about the correlation between external stimuli,...
The ribosome, the cell’s machine for synthesizing proteins, can be thought of as the chef of the cell. Just as a chef reads a recipe and combines ingredients to create a dish, the ribosome reads cellular instructions and connects building block molecules (amino acids) to construct proteins. Like the final...
With the rapidly growing global demand in energy nowadays, innovation and technology become critical for a transition to renewable energy, high energy efficiency or low-carbon emission. Thin-film materials are especially favorable in energy management due to the easy integration into devices. The transport properties for heat and electrical conduction are...
The adoption of surfactant replacement therapy (SRT) for the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (nRDS) is one of the main contributors to the dramatic decline in infant mortality rates observed in the 1980s. Despite the significant efficacy of animal-derived surfactant preparations, there are still some concerns associated with their...
While self-consolidating concrete (SCC) may no longer be considered a "new concrete", there are still significant challenges to overcome before there is broader acceptance of SCC. One of these challenges concerns the formwork pressure exerted by SCC. A major advantage of SCC is the accelerated casting process due to the...
The research reported in this dissertation covers the development of two high-performance concrete materials, Very-High-Strength Concrete (VHSC) and Frangible Concrete, and the philosophy of engineering the microstructure of these materials to produce their specific beneficial traits. The underlying problem addressed was how to optimize their design to maximize their desirable...