Detail:

Abstract 
Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as Graphene, h-BN and MoS2, are promising candidates in a number of advanced functional and structural applications, owing to their exceptional electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. In this talk, we first discuss the synthesis of high quality 2D materials and related heterostructures, with our current understanding of some underlying mechanisms. Next, we will report the electrical, opto-electrical and mechanical characterizations of the synthesized 2D materials, with an emphasis on the effect of defects on relevant properties. Finally, we will demonstrate some potential applications of selected 2D materials including using h-BN as high-performance oxidation resistant and anti-corrosion coatings, and 2D catalyst for hydrogen evolution reactions.

Introduction of the speaker: 
Jun Lou obtained B.E. and M.S. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University and Ohio State University, respectively, and his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Princeton Materials Institute at Princeton University. After a brief postdoc at Brown University he joined Rice University, and directs the Nanomaterials, Nanomechanics and Nanodevices Lab (N3L). He is currently a full professor and the associate chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering. Lou is an AFOSR Young Investigator and a recipient of Charles Duncan Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement at Rice. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Materials Today, the Elsevier flagship journal (Impact factor: 21.7) covering original research and reviews in the broader materials science community. Lou has extensive experience in the synthesis and design of 2D materials beyond Graphene and other nanomaterials; mechanical and multi-physics characterization, and fabrication of advanced material systems and devices. His group has made pioneering contributions in the area of nanomechanics including discovering of the “cold welding” phenomena in Au nanowires and performing the first experimental measurement of the fracture toughness of graphene. He currently serves as the site director for the NSF industry university collaborative research center (IUCRC) of Atomically Thin Multifunctional Coatings (ATOMIC) that has 13 member companies, exploring potential applications of 2D materials in different industries with commercial partners.