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Nanomaterial Applications

Researchers in Penn’s department of physics & astronomy in SAS are paving the way for the future of nanomaterial applications, which are at the forefront of solving some of the world’s biggest engineering challenges, by providing insights into how these thin 2D membranes form. A study from the lab of Marija Drndić, the Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics at Penn, published in the journal Nano Letters, also offers a view of what these materials look like at the nanometer scale.

The study builds on previous work done by the Drndić lab and focuses on a “less attractive” form of 2D membranes. Most research focuses on membranes that are comprised of a monolayer that is only one atom thick. In this study, the Drndić lab used membranes that vary in thickness.

These membranes are considered “less attractive” because they may not be ideal for applications such as electronics. But these membranes are strong, versatile, and much easier to make in the lab. “This additional robustness can be used for applications like desalination or gas transport,” said Priyanka Thiruraman, a graduate student involved with the study.

Using a scanning transmission electron microscope, Paul Masih Das, graduate student and the study’s lead author, was able to take pictures of these types of membranes at an atomic scale— “nanotopography.” The images show the layout of individual atoms within the membrane and reveal patterns that resemble a map of atomic hills and valleys. “This level of structure, where we can see the individual atoms of these multilayer molybdenum disulfide membranes, hasn’t been seen in the related literature before,” said Dr. Drndić.

Mr. Masih Das said that they thought they would find a structure that was more uniform and grid-like. Unexpected results like this drive the Drndić lab to keep exploring the potential of how these “less attractive” materials could be used in the future.

“The idea of desalination came naturally. It’s not that we planned it; it was just that for the holes that we were making for DNA sequencing applications we noticed that if they were smaller then we can filter ions. When we first published on that topic, there were not many papers at all out there. Now, all of a sudden, there are many more papers, and there’s more of a research community.”

The Drndić lab continues to study the fundamental nature of 2D membranes and other nanomaterials. “We let it grow naturally,” Dr. Drndić said  about the work done in her lab. “If we see another opportunity, we might jump on it. “

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