UMass Amherst

Dhanasekaran Thirunavukkarasu (Sekar)

Director, Nanostructures Lab
Research Professor, Departments of Polymer Science & Engineering and Chemical Engineering A-529 Conte, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003-9292
(413) 577-0529
sekar@mail.pse.umass.edu
http://www.pse.umass.edu/nano

Microporous and Mesoporous Nanocomposite Materials

My research work focuses on understanding surface and interfacial properties of nanoparticles, self-assembly processes to create new materials with controlled porosity, and using genetically engineered proteins as scaffolds for ordered nanoparticle assemblies. We have already shown that gold nanoparticles could be encapsulated in mesoporous silica shell. This has potential applications such as shape-selective catalysis and controlled release. A detailed understanding of the mechanism of self-assembly was undertaken and this could lead to the synthesis of other important mesoporous materials such as titania and in making thin films with mesoporosity.

Research Interest Potential Application
Self assembly processes New materials with desired properties
Mesoporous materials Catalysis, sensing
Nanoimprint lithography Functional nanodevies, nanosensors
Bionanotechnology Drug delivery, in vivo imaging, disease diagnosis and prevention
Inorganic-organic hybrid materials Optoelectronics, coatings

Publications

  1. Robert I. Nooney, Dhanasekaran Thirunavukkarasu, Agnes E. Ostafin, Yimei Chen, Robert Josephs, “Self-assembly of supermicro- and meso-porous silica and silica/gold nanoparticles using double-chained surfactants”, Microporous Mesoporous Materials, 2004, 75, 183-93.
  2. Robert I. Nooney, Dhanasekaran Thirunavukkarasu, Yimei Chen, Robert Josephs, and Agnes E. Ostafin, “Self-Assembly of Mesoporous Nanoscale Silica/Gold Composites”, Langmuir, 2003, 19, 7628-37.
  3. Nooney, R.I., Dhanasekaran Thirunavukkarasu, Chen, Y., Josephs, R., Ostafin, A.E., "Synthesis of Nanoscale Mesoporous Silica Spheres With Controlled Particle Size," Chem. Mater., 2002, 14, 4721-28.
  4. Dick, K., T. Dhanasekaran, Zhang, Z., Meisel, D., Size-Dependent Melting of Gold Nanoparticles Encapuslated Inside Silica Spheres,” J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2002, 124, 2312-17.
  5. Nooney, R.I., T. Dhanasekaran, Chen., Y., Josephs, R., Ostafin, A.E., “Self-Assembled Highly-Ordered Spherical Mesoporous Silica/Gold Nanocomposites,” Adv. Mater., 2002, 14, 529.