Nanotechology Research Group
Overview
The Nanotechnology Research Group was established by Dr. Joe O'Mahony in 2004. The group undertakes collaborative research with the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Research Centre in the Department of Chemical & Life Sciences.
Renewable energy generation is one of the most important considerations for most modern societies. Renewables based on the harvesting of energy from sunlight offers the advantage of a low cost remote access to clean energy. Perhaps the most environmentally promising candidates for clean solar energy production are organic photovoltaic polymers due to their low fabrication costs and ease of production. In principle these polymer solar cells (PSC) can be fabricated on large flexible substrates using low cost technologies such as ink-jet or roll-to-roll processing technologies. The Nanotechnology Research Group is interested in both the fabrication and characterisation of these polymer solar cells.
The group has developed Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and conductive AFM (c-AFM) techniques for the nanoscale characterisaiton of organic thin films. These techniques allow us to probe the electronic transport properties of the thin molecular films required for the conversation of sunlight to electricity. Organic solar cells are fabricated in-house via spin coating in an inert environment. The integration of titanium oxide within our curred molecular structures will allow ambient fabrication of these devices and extended operating lifetimes. Further research in the area of PSC technologies involve the development of networks of carbon nanotubes to create transparent flexible electrodes for the fabrication of mechanically flexible solar cells on plastic substrates.
The contribution of nanotechnology of biomedical diagnostics is widespread and varied, our group is interested in applying nanohole and nano particle sensing technologies to the early stage detection of disease. To study these fascinating structures we use light emission STM and dark field microscopy coupled with ultra low light level spectroscopic detection to investigate plasmonic behaviour around these nanostructures formed in or on thin films of gold.
Contact
Dr. Joe O'Mahony
Department of Engineering Technology
Engineering Research Building
Waterford Institute of Technology
Cork Road
Waterford
Ireland
Tel: 051 845660 or Email: jomahony[at]wit.ie