WE ARE BROADLY INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING new chemical, physical, engineering, and biological applications related to self-assembled nanostructured materials. Our current research is focused on the following four topics:

SELF-ASSEMBLED PHOTONIC & PLASMONIC CRYSTALS Photonic crystals and plasmonic crystals offer unprecedented opportunities for the realization of all-optical integrated circuits and high-speed optical computation. Our group is developing a number of scalable colloidal self-assembly technologies to control, manipulate, and amplify light on the sub-wavelength scale. We are also involved in the fabrication, characterization, and modeling of a large variety of functional nanooptical and plasmonic devices enabled by the bottom-up approaches.

BIOMIMETIC BROADBAND ANTIREFLECTION COATINGS By mimicking the nanostructured antireflection layer on the cornea of a moth and the water-shedding coating on the wings of a cicada, we are developing self-cleaning broadband antireflection coatings for a wide spectrum of applications ranging from highly efficient solar cells and light emitting diodes to high-sensitivity spectroscopy for space exploration. Once again, we are interested in scalable nanomanufacturing technologies that can be inexpensively applied to large areas.

NOVEL STIMULI-RESPONSIVE SHAPE MEMORY POLYMERS By integrating scientific principles drawn from two disparate fields—the fast-growing photonic crystal and shape memory polymer (SMP) technologies, we have developed a new type of shape memory polymer (SMP) that enables unusual “cold” programming and instantaneous shape recovery triggered by applying a large variety of unconventional stimuli (e.g., static pressure, vapors, and shear stress) at ambient conditions. These new stimuli-responsive SMPs differ greatly from currently available SMPs as they enable orders of magnitude faster response and room-temperature operations for the entire shape memory cycle. We are now exploring the broad applications of these smart materials in detecting Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) materials and aerospace morphing structures.

SMART WINDOW COATINGS FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT BUILDINGS Windows are typically regarded as a less energy efficient building component, and they contribute about 30 percent of overall building heating and cooling loads. We are developing a transformative dynamic window technology that enables dynamic and independent control of visible and near infrared light and eliminates expensive transparent conductors in the final devices. The innovative dynamic windows are inspired by the mature heat pipe and photonic crystal technologies, which have been widely used in controlling the flow of heat and light, respectively.

Areas of Interest

Scalable Bottom-up Nanomanufacturing
Nanoparticle-reinforced Hydrogels
Plasmonic Chemical and Biological Sensors
Self-Assembled Photonic Crystals for Integrated Nanooptics
Biomimetic Broadband Antireflection Coatings for High-Efficiency Optoelectronic Devices
Smart Window Coatings for Energy-Efficient Buildings

Awards

• Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Adviser/Mentoring Award, 2019-2020
• UF Term Professorship Award (2016-2019, 2019-2022)
• Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering 2019 Faculty Award for Excellence in Innovation
• SPIE NOVA Award, 2014
• National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 2008

Education

Ph.D., 2001, Rice University

Courses Taught

ECH 3203 – Fluid and Solid Operations
ECH 4824 – Materials of Chemical Engineering
ECH 4224L – Unit Operations Lab
ECH 3023 – Material and Energy Balances
ECH 3264 – Elementary Transport Phenomena
ECH 6905 – Material Self-Assembly Over All Length Scales

Selected Publications

• Gu, Z. X.; Kothary, P.; Sun, C. H.; Gari, A.; Zhang, Y. F.; Taylor, C.; Jiang, P.* Evaporation-Induced Hierarchical Assembly of Rigid Silicon Nanopillars Fabricated by a Scalable Two-Level Colloidal Lithography Approach. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 11, 40461, 2019.
• Askar K.; Leo, S. Y.; Wang, J. M.; Kim, C.; Jiang, P.*; Meagher, T.; Jiang, B. Self-Assembled Nanoparticle Antireflection Coatings on Geometrically Complex Optical Surfaces, Optics Letters 43, 5238, 2018.
• Kothary, P.; Dou, X.; Fang, Y.; Gu, Z. X.; Leo, S. Y.; Jiang, P.* Superhydrophobic Hierarchical Arrays Fabricated by a Scalable Colloidal Lithography Approach. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 487, 484, 2016.
• Fang, Y.; Phillips, B. M.; Askar, K.; Choi, B.; Jiang, B.; Jiang, P.* Scalable Bottom-Up Fabrication of Colloidal Photonic Crystals and Plasmonic Nanostructures.Journal of Materials Chemistry C 1, 6031, 2013. (Invited review)
• Sun, C. H.; Jiang, P.* Photonic Crystals: Acclaimed Defects. Nature Photonics 2, 9, 2008.
• Jiang, P.; Bertone, J. F.; Colvin, V. L.* A Lost-Wax Approach to Monodisperse Colloids and Their Crystals. Science 291, 453, 2001.