Micro-Integration Laboratory (MINT)

This lab is working on developing and improving advanced manufacturing processes. Our work has touched on many different manufacturing processes in a variety of fields from thermal protection systems to thermoelectrics, much of our work is related to surface tension effects in manufacturing processes. Examples include capillary self-assembly, electrowetting microactuation, inkjet printing in Additive Manufacturing.

The Heterogeneous Catalysis & Materials Chemistry Group

The Heterogeneous Catalysis & Materials Chemistry Group researches at the interface of heterogeneous catalysis and materials chemistry. Targeted research areas include synthetic biofuels, carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion by photocatalytic and chemical methods, hydrogen generation and purification, and water purification by photocatalysis and adsorption. We have a strong focus on materials which include transition metals, oxides, oxynitrides, and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). The research efforts have applications in green chemistry and sustainability.

The Space Group

This lab is a theoretical chemistry group concerned primarily with computer simulation of condensed phase phenomenon. Current focus is on the development of highly accurate potential energy functions for environmentally relevant gases, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, methane, oxygen and associated oxides. The potentials are used in molecular simulations of sorption of such gases within metal-organic materials, or MOMs. MOMs are solid, 3D crystalline materials that are constructed with organic ligands linked to metal-containing clusters. They offer great potential as H2 storage, CO2 capture and N2/CO2/CH4/O2 separation platforms. Additionally, they are lightweight, can be intelligently engineered to have large surface areas and can be assembled from molecular building blocks with desired chemical functionality. Computation is a highly effective tool for this, and could lead to the discovery of new, useful MOMs.

The Wang Group

The Wang group works primarily in the area of functional nanomaterials, nanotechnologies, micromachined sensors and transducers, RF/microwave devices and microsystems. In the field of nanotechnologies, his group developed novel techniques for formation of nano-scale devices and nanostructured materials with critical feature sizes down sub-100nm. Examples include first-reported growth of densely-packed ZnO nanowires over the sidewall of deep trenches and nanomanufacturing of quantum tunneling diodes with junctions of 100nm. Another area is to develop micromachined piezoelectric or capacitive transducers for sensing, low power wireless telemetry, and signal processing applications. Recently, his group has developed resonant mass sensors with resolution down to attogram (1E-18g), which will be integrated with readout circuits for future point-of-care apparatus. Another key focus is in the area of synthesis, characterization and implementation of functional nanomaterials into 3D printable RF and flexible electronics, such as antennas, waveguides, transmission lines, filters, couplers, etc. We are currently investigating polymer-ceramic nanocomposites with evenly dispersed high permeability or high permittivity nanofillers for RF device miniaturization by reducing electromagnetic wavelength.

Center for Wireless and Microwave Information Systems (WAMI Center)

Research and discovery in the RF/microwave/communications areas is the primary focus of the faculty and students in the WAMI Center. To enable this research, the Center maintains state of the art facilities for microwave/mm-wave characterization, and together with the USF Nanotechnology Research and Education Center (NREC) supports a wide range of micro- and nano-fabrication capabilities. A broad spectrum of measurement instrumentation is also available for research in the communications area. The center supports a comprehensive graduate curriculum that combines fundamental theory with many opportunities for hands-on, real-world engineering experience.

Dr. Wickline's Laboratory

This laboratory pursues basic and clinical research topics in molecular imaging and nanotechnology. We design novel methods, hardware, and software for clinical and molecular imaging with ultrasound and MRI. Cross disciplinary nanomedicine research is conducted with many collaborators. Current areas of research interest include:

   1. Development of molecularly targeted peptide nanostructures for control of gene function by delivery of oligonucleotides and mRNA to modulate inflammatory diseases.

   2. The design of theranostic biocompatible perfluorocarbon nanostructures for quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and delivery of pharmaceutical agents in atherosclerosis and heart failure.

   3. The design and synthesis of protease-activatible nanostructures for therapeutic use in metastatic cancer and atherosclerosis.

   4. The development of nanostructures that restore cellular autophagy in diseases such as muscular dystrophy and heart failure.