Peeling Atoms via Ultrasharp Nanostructures for Bio-Chemical-Environmental Sensing and Pollution Control

Dr. Saif Islam
Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC Davis

Cerent Engineering Science Complex, Salazar Hall 2009A
4:00 PM

Abstract – Ultra-sharp nanostructures exhibit interesting functionalities in devices including gas ionization sensors, field emission devices, ion-mobility spectrometry, electrostatic precipitators and biological, chemical and agricultural sensors. We will present examples of engineered 1D semiconductor nanostructures in ultra-selective sensors and discuss their importance in chemical and biological detection; diagnosing medical symptoms of certain diseases; monitoring and controlling agricultural and industrial green house gas emission, indoor air quality of homes, public places, manufacturing plants, automotive emission, waste disposal and treatment plants. We will also show how such devices can dramatically reduce the design complexities of pollution monitoring and controlling systems. These devices enable new capabilities and offer great potential to be rationally tailored in a myriad of useful ways for accurate fingerprinting a broad range of biological and chemical analytes and for cost-effective control of environmental pollution.

Dr. Saif Islam received his B.Sc. Degree in Physics from Middle East Technical University (1994, Turkey), M.S. degree in Physics from Bilkent University (1996, Turkey) and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA, 2001). He worked for Hewlett-Packard Laboratories and JDS Uniphase Corporation before joining the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of UC Davis in 2004, where he is now a Professor. His work covers ultra-fast nanoelectronic and photonic devices, molecular electronics, and integration of semiconductor nanostructures in devices and circuits for imaging, sensing, computing, energy conversion and storage. He has authored/co-authored more than 200 scientific papers, edited 24 books and conference proceedings and holds 38 patents as an inventor/co-inventor. Dr. Islam received NSF Faculty Early Career Award (2006), Outstanding Junior Faculty Award (2006), IEEE Professor of the Year (2005 and 2009), Mid-Career Research Faculty Award (2012) and Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award in 2010, the highest teaching honor University of California-Davis bestows on its faculties. He is a Fellow of National Academy of Inventors.