Achievement

IGERT Fellow Kevin Whitham fabricated solar cells and field effect transistors (FETs) using nanoparticles. Nanoparticles have high potential as a material for low-cost, highly efficient photovoltaic devices and next-generation batteries. Both of these applications require precise control of the electrical properties of the nanoparticle material. Whitham performed a systematic study on the effect of particle surface chemistry on electrical transport. The interfaces at nanoparticle surfaces are not well understood yet are of vital importance for understanding charge transport in nanoparticle devices. Collaborating with colleagues in Materials Science, Whitham investigated the effect of a novel inorganic chemical surface treatment which produces nanoparticle materials hundreds to thousands of times more conductive than the more common organic surface chemistries. This work will enable the electrical properties of nanoparticle systems to be tailored for future energy technologies.