Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ORNL
Biography
Dr. Kai Xiao is a staff scientist in the Functional Hybrid Nanomaterials Group at Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ORNL and a joint faculty at Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He received his Ph.D. degree in Physic Chemistry in 2004 from Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Then he worked as a postdoc associate at CNMS and became a staff scientist in 2008. He has published about 90 papers, several patents, and 4 book chapters.
His research focuses on understanding and controlling the synthesis and processing of thin films and nanostructured materials for energy-related devices.
1. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, including transition metal dichalcogenides, metal monochalcogenides, and graphene.
Rational design and controlled synthesis, characterization, processing and applications of novel 2D layered materials and fundamental investigation of new chemical, optical, electronic and magnetic properties: Synthesis of 2D nanomaterials and their van der Waals heterostructures using CVD, PVD, mechanic exfoliation, and dry transfer methods; Optical, structural, and electrical characterization of 2D nanomaterials; Charge transport study of 2D nanomaterials;
2. Solution-processed thin film electronic devices for organic semiconductors and hybrid perovskites, including field-effect transistors (FETs) and photovoltaics (PVs), spin valves, organic memory, sensors.
Understanding the correlations between the controlled processing, structure, and device performance of solution-processed semiconductor materials (small molecules, conducting polymers, and hybrid perovskites) with the multiscale characterizations such as electron microscopy, neutron/x-ray scattering, and various optical spectroscopy; Processing those materials using various methods, including spin-coating, thermal deposition, spray printing, to form gradient or doped single/multilayer thin films for energy-related electronic devices (OFETs, OPVs, memories, sensors).
3. Inorganic/organic nanoscale electronics.
Understanding the charge transport process and optoelectronic functionality in 1D and 2D nanoscale electronic devices (FETs, photodetectors, memories) of inorganic/organic nanostructures.