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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