The Zhang research group is primarily interested in the design, development, characterization, and application of advanced materials with emphasis on optical and electronic nanomaterials (nanocrystals or quantum dots) of both semiconductors and metals. The group actively explores emerging technological applications of these advanced nanomaterials in areas such as solar energy conversion, hydrogen generation and storage, cancer biomarker detection, photocatalysis, sensors, imaging, detectors, and lasers. A number of projects have been accomplished and several are currently under investigation. Some examples of on-going projects include:
1. Metal halide perovskites (films, quantum dots, and magic sized clusters): fundamental issues related to stability and solar energy conversion, LEDs, as well as sensing applications
2. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based on Au and Ag nanostructures including hollow gold nanostars and development of SERS sensors for chemical and biomedical detection
3. Ultrafast exciton and charge carrier dynamics in doped and undoped semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) or nanocrystals (NCs)
4. Ultrafast hot electron relaxation in metal nanostructures (such as Ag and Au)