Vikas Berry

Email Address: vikasb@uic.edu
College: Engineering Department: Chemical Engineering
Title: Associate Professor

Webpage: http://vikasb.people.uic.edu/
Participating in the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Awards program: Yes

Research Interest:
We study the electrical, structural, and chemical properties of innovatively designed nano- and bio- materials to enable the development of the next-generation applications in biomedicine, electronics and nanomechanics. We investigate the fundamental science behind the biological and the nanoscale phenomena to rationally integrate them to develop high functionality/sensitivity nanotechnologies. My research areas of interest are:
(a) Graphene Science and Technology
(b) Bio/Nano Interfaces and BioNanoTechnologies
(c) Novel Atomically-Thick Nanomaterials

(A) Graphene Science and Technology: Isolated from graphite for the first time in 2004, graphene is a "single atom thick" sheet of sp2 hybridized carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice. We modify its chemical and structural attributes to control its properties for applications in ultrafast FETs, single-bacterial/DNA detector,making cells impermeable, and single molecule detector.

(B) Bio/Nano Interfaces: Hybrid systems built at the interface between bio- and nano-technologies leverage the hierarchical chemical-specificity in biology, and the unique quantum mechanical effects in nanomaterials. The combined characteristics of the bio/nano systems enable higher-order functionality, including bio-molecular mechanics, bio-sensing, bio-molecular electronics, physical phenomenon sensing using biological reactions, and biocomposites.


(C) Novel Atomic-Thick Nanomaterials: My group has been working on synthesizing and studying the properties of several (next-generation) atomically-thick nano-materials. We have developed a process for the exfoliation of single-atom-thick sheets of Boron Nitride (BN) via lattice protonation and are studying the surface-sensitivity of Molybdenum Disulphide (MoS2) monolayers (3 atoms thick).

Minimum time commitment in hours per week: 16

Qualifications of a Student:
Motivated to conduct ground-breaking experiments and learn state-of-the-art nanotechnology tools.

Minimum GPA = 3.3
Preferred majors: Chemical, Materials, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics

Honors College students preferred

Brief Summary of what is expected from the student:
Learn nanotechnology tools and conduct research on a current project on graphene, bionanotechnology or 2D Nanomaterials.

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