Instructional Laboratories for Nanoscale Materials Science

We have created a number of instructional laboratory experiments in HM Chem 122 Nanomaterials that subsequently have been published for use in chemistry, physics, engineering, and material science curricula worldwide. Our current project centers on demonstrating the power of soft lithography, a set of low-cost microfabrication techniques that use flexible, elastomeric stamps (often PDMS) to print, mold, and emboss patterns, creating micro- and nanoscale structures for applications in microfluidics, biotechnology, and flexible electronics. Soft lithography offers versatility, ease of fabrication, and potentially lower costs relative to traditional photolithography. A student working on this project will test our current procedures, generate publication-quality samples, and then ascertain just how "low tech" we can go with the required equipment to enhance the adoption rate of these experiments at institutions that may not have cutting-edge research instrumentation.