One-dimensional bio-nanomaterials for controlled drug and gene delivery

Advisor: Prof. Jianyu Liang

Graduate Student: Shelley Dougherty

Bio-nanomaterials have recently begun to spark a great amount of interest for biomedical applications. Nanotubular structures are becoming attractive options in drug and gene delivery because of how greatly nanostructure size affects cellular uptake. This project focuses on template-assisted techniques to fabricate one-dimensional nanostructure using polymers and proteins.

TEM image showing avidin and glucose oxidase nanotube walls

Transitional metal oxide-based Cu nanostructured electrode for Li-ion battery

Advisor: Prof. Jianyu Liang

Graduate Student: Huanan Duan, Xiangping Chen

Developing Li-ion batteries with high specific capacities and high current densities as power sources for many applications is of great interest. Seeking a suitable electrode material is critical to achieve that goal. In this project nanostructured electrodes using transitional metal oxides such as Fe3O4, SnO2, and TiO2 as the active material for Li-ion cells are fabricated by a two-step electrochemical process. Electrochemical properties will be evaluated by conventional charge/discharge tests.

Fabrication of Cu nanorod arrays as nanostructured current collector for Li-ion batteries

Advisor: Prof. Jianyu Liang

Graduate Student: Xiangping Chen

Li-ion batteries are attractive candidates for power sources because of their high energy density and long cycle life. There is a vigorous research effort in the use of nanomaterials to shorten Li-ion diffusion path lengths and thus to improve the rate capabilities of Li-ion batteries. We developed a template-assisted means to fabricate Cu nanorod arrays on Cu foil to be used as current collectors.

Template assembly biodegradable polymer nanotubes for drug delivery systems

Advisor: Prof. Jianyu Liang

Graduate Student: Dawei Zhang

Polylactic copolymers have been studied intensively in vivo and in vitro for their unique applications in drug delivery systems. Through various techniques polylactic copolymers can be fabricated into nanoparticles and be used as nanoscaled capsules in the controlled release of medicines. However, there are several critical limitations in the available production methods, such as high cost, unknown toxicity, and poor reproducibility. Therefore, a new approach was introduced to fabricate PLA copolymer nanotubes using nano-porous alumina templates by capillary force. The fabricated nano-capsules would have an unprecedented uniformity in sizes and wall thicknesses which are expected to have important effects on the release behaviors of the encapsulated medicines.

Thermal transport property study of metal nanowires

Advisor: Prof. Jianyu Liang, Prof. Germano S. Iannacchione

Graduate Student: Nihar R. Pradhan, Huanan Duan

Knowledge of nanowire thermal and thermoelectric properties is critical for the thermal management of nanowire devices and is essential for the design of nanowire thermoelectric devices. The project will study the thermal transport properties of metal nanowires (MNWs). Highly ordered arrays of parallel MNWs in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates are fabricated by a non-lithographic method. Different metals such as Cobalt, Nickel, and Iron will be studied.