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The Research

CAMP is an interdisciplinary science and engineering
endeavor dedicated to research on high-technology materials processing. This research is focused on the production, modification and conversion of matter for which "small" particles, colloidal media and / or surfaces play an important role in the process and /or properties of the final product. Presented here are some highlights of the research during CAMP's fifteenth year as a New York State Center for Advanced Technology

PARTICLE SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES

Preparation of Uniform Particles for Different Specific Applications

Recently Professor Egon Matijevic' ( the Victor K. LaMer Chair in Colloid and Surface Science) and his group have been engaged in the preparation of uniform particles for different specific applications. For example, uniform fluorescent particles for the use in flow cytometry were obtained by the incorporation of dyes in micrometer size silica particles. Another project in medical diagnostics involves the synthesis of core/shell particles with nanosized CdSe in the outer layer.

Also in collaboration with Professor Babu, systematic studies of the effect of different properties of abrasives in chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) have been investigated by Professor Matijevic's group, using uniform inorganic particles of different shape, size, and chemical composition. Simultaneously, the adhesion (deposition and detachment) experiments with such particles on the metal surfaces are being evaluated using conditions that simulate CMP.

Metallic Particles
CAMP Professor Dan Goia is preparing metallic particles for potential use in defense related applications such as obscurant smokes, electromagnetic interference shielding, biomedical applications, and in energy generation devices. He is involved in the synthesis, characterization, and modification of ultra-fine and nanosize metallic particles. Besides catalysis, these materials could potentially impact many other fields of high technology including electronics, biology, and medicine. In a grant received from OMG Inc., he is also involved in research geared toward the development of heterogeneous metallic catalysts for PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cells.

Professor Roy Studies Thin Film Materials for Photovoltaic Applications

CAMP Professor Dipankar Roy and his research group in the Physics Department of Clarkson University are characterizing thin film composites that can serve as building blocks for high performance photovoltaic cells. The technique of electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (ECALE) is used to fabricate these materials. With this approach, one can modify the chemical and physical properties of the thin film in a very precisely controlled manner - essentially at the atomic level. For a recent review of ECALE, see J. E. Stickney, in A. J. Bard, I. Rubinstein, Eds. Electroanl. Chem., Marcel Dekker, New York, 21, 75 (1999). Presently, there are several unresolved issues in this potentially important yet relatively new and under-explored area of research. For instance, what types of interactions occur among the deposited atoms, and among the subsequent layers in a multilayer structure? How do they affect the morphology and the optical (electronic) properties of the active material? What are the most crucial requirements for a "good" substrate that would support a stable configuration of the layered composites? What other factors are responsible for structurally stabilizing the electrochemically-fabricated films against chemical and/or mechanical degradation? To address these questions, Professor Roy's group is investigating various microscopic details of carefully designed interfaces where such ultra-thin material layers are electrodeposited. For this characterization work, they are using Fast Fourier Transform Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (FFT-EIS) and the nonlinear optical technique of second harmonic generation (SHG). The results of these studies have been reported in a number of 2001 - 2002 publications coauthored by Professor Roy and his graduate students.

A complete list of recently published research reports from Professor Roy's group can be found at the following web site: www.clarkson.edu/~samoy/pub.htm. For information about Professor Roy and his research, you may call him at 315-268-6676 or send e-mail to samoy@clarkson.edu.