The National Science Foundation (NSF) has granted the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards to five Assistant Professors of the University of Houston, of which two are involved in the nanomaterial research.
Jiming Bao, who serves as an Assistant Professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Houston, has received a NSF CAREER Award worth up to $400,000. He is investigating graphene’s optical properties in order to detect the nanomaterial’s capability to function as an optical waveguide for surface plasmon.
In his study, Bao tries to prove the nanomaterial’s capability to transmit surface plasmon and characterize the capability of various graphene nanoribbon types to carry out this task, by fabricating graphene sheets followed by etching nano-scale features into the nanomaterial. If he is successful in creating and demonstrating graphene with superior optical waveguide properties, it will open the door to use the material’s nanoribbons as optical interlinks in electronic devices to enhance their computing speed. Moreover, Bao explained that confirming the plasmon-related properties of graphene will enable researchers to utilize it for molecular sensing.
Debora Rodrigues, who serves as an Assistant Professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Houston, has been presented a NSF CAREER Award worth up to $449,967. Rodrigues’ research is related to the environmental footprint of nanomaterials made of graphene. One of her objectives is to detect the impact of these nanomaterials on bacteria used in treating wastewater. She is also involved in the development of technologies based on graphene and other nanomaterials. Rodrigues intends to train science teachers of high schools on nanotechnology through this experimental work.
Source: http://www.uh.edu