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Aaron E. Saunders

Assistant Professor and Jacobs Faculty Fellow

ECCH 101

(303) 492-0722
aaron.saunders@colorado.edu

Education:

B.S., Iowa State University (2001)
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin (2005)

Awards:

• Jacobs Faculty Fellow, University of Colorado, 2007
• National Science Foundation (NSF) International Research Postdoctoral Fellowship , 2006
• Lady Davis Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship , 2006
• University Co-Op/George H. Mitchell Award for Excellence in Graduate Research (University Co-Op Bookstore) , 2005
• George Kozmetsky Award for Outstanding Graduate Research in Nanotechnology (Nanotechnology Foundation of Texas) , 2005
• Engineering Doctoral Fellowship (The University of Texas at Austin), (2001-05)

Selected Publications:

R. Costi, A. E. Saunders, E. Elmalem, and U. Banin, “Visible Light Induced Charge Retention and Photocatalysis with Hybrid CdSe-Au Nanodumbbells,” Nano Letters, 8(2), 637-641. (2008)

A. E. Saunders, I. Popov and U. Banin, “Synthesis and characterization of organic-soluble Ag/AgBr dimer nanocrystals,” Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie, 633(13-14), 2414-2419. (2007)

Book Chapters:

R. C. Doty, M. B. Sigman, Jr., C. Stowell, P. S. Shah, A. E. Saunders and B. A. Korgel, Synthesis and Fabrication of Metal Nanocrystal Superlattices. In Semiconductor and Metal Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Electronic and Optical Properties; V. I. Klimov, Ed. Marcel Dekker: New York. (2003)

Research Interests:

Synthesis of Hybrid Nanocrystals

Hybrid nanocrystals combine domains of disparate material systems (such as different semiconductors, or metals and semiconductors) into one colloidal nanocrystal, and have challenged us to characterize and understand what occurs when different material systems are joined together at the nanoscale.  One of the key challenges faced in synthesizing hybrid nanocrystals is understanding how to form a stable interface between materials which may have very different physical or chemical properties.  The efficient synthesis of these materials requires a thorough understanding of materials chemistry, diffusion and crystal growth, and reaction kinetics.  This research is aimed at exploring many of these fundamental issues regarding the synthesis of hybrid nanocrystals, studying the properties that arise, and developing uses for these advanced materials.

Self-Assembly of Complex Nanocrystal Films

When monodisperse nanocrystals are slowly deposited from solution onto a substrate, entropic and energetic interactions among the nanocrystals can lead to ordered films.  This self-assembly process provides possibilities to study fundamental properties of nanocrystal solids, and serves as the foundation for the idea of “bottom-up assembly,” in which complex structures can be spontaneously formed through careful control of the particle functionality and system parameters.  We are interested in understanding and controlling the self-assembly process to create films with hierarchal order, allowing nanocrystal films to more easily interact with optical and electronic devices.  We are also interested in exploring multi-component films, containing a mixture of different sizes or shapes of nanocrystals.