Welcome to our web site. In our lab, we are developing new materials which can be tailored precisely for the application at hand. We can do this because of the power that nanotechnology holds for controlling properties. Our approach is to combine several nanocomponents, study their chemical and physical properties, and to assemble them into new materials. In this approach, two factors determine the end-properties. First, the individual properties of the nanosystems and second, how they are assembled. For instance, gold nanoparticles will produce two different types of materials when forced together at two different pressures, or amyloid beta peptides will form fibrils on neurons owing to the rigidity and the adhesion interactions of the neuron membrane.

We are also determining surface active properties of green materials such as cactus mucilage and its effect in reacting with heavy metals to clean contaminated drinking water. We hope you will be able to learn about our projects and to contact us if you have questions.

Nano-materials films

Cactus Plant

NEWS: Our work on "purifying water using cactus mucilage" has been highlighted in Discovery News

Dawn Fox has been awarded with the "Faculty for the Future Fellowship" from

 the Schlumberger Foundation

Jeffy Jimenez has been selected to receive a SHPE AHETEMS scholarship.

This is from the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science Foundation.