ABSTRACT

The organization of nanoparticles (NPs) into stable and sophisticated superstructures is essential for achieving collective and emergent properties that enable advanced technologies. Yet, controlling NP assembly remains challenging due to the difficulty of precisely tuning nanoscale interactions. In this talk, I will present our collaborative work on engineering NP self-assembly by tailoring interparticle interactions and assembly environments, probed with advanced X-ray scattering methods at National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II). By functionalizing NPs with stimuli-responsive polymers, we establish a robust strategy to assemble NPs into two-dimensional superlattices at liquid interfaces. Their interfacial assembly and crystallization are monitored using a suite of liquid surface scattering techniques, including grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR). Extending this approach to bulk systems enables three-dimensional NP assembly, revealed by transmission SAXS. I will highlight recent progress on electrostatic control using charged-end polymers, leading to valence-free open lattices such as 2D square, and 3D cubic and diamond structures. These studies, performed at the SMI-OPLS and CMS beamlines at NSLS-II, demonstrate the power of X-ray scattering for elucidating NP self-assembly in 2D and 3D and guiding the design of functional soft materials with tunable architectures

BRIEF ACADEMIC/EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

• 2023-present Beamline Scientist, National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory
• 2022-2023 Scientific Associate, National Synchrotron Light Source II and Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory
• 2017-2022 Postdoctoral Researcher, Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory
• 2016 Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University

MOST RECENT RESEARCH INTERESTS:

X-ray scattering of 1) nanomaterials fabrications and self-assembly in bulk and 2) self-assembly of surfactants (lipids; PFAS), macromolecules (DNA; polymers, including MOFs and COFs), and nano-objects on liquid surfaces.