Jim Cahoon
Jim Cahoon’s research program is focused on the chemical synthesis of semiconductor nanomaterials with unique physical properties that can enable a range of technologies, from solar cells to solid-state memory. His Ph.D. background is in experimental physical chemistry, and my post-doctoral training focused on nanomaterial synthesis, a topic at the border of physical chemistry, inorganic materials, and engineering.
At UNC, Jim has combined these backgrounds to develop a research program that emphasizes nanomaterials synthesis coupled with detailed physical characterization and computational modeling. By combining these three key areas - synthesis, measurement, and modeling - they have a general strategy to develop new materials with specific properties and function under the overarching theme "morphology encodes function."
Because the materials they develop have dimensions on the nanometer length scale, subtle changes in size, geometry, and composition have profound influence on the optical and electrical characteristics of the materials; thus, they use morphology as a tool to rationally encode specific physical properties, which they predict and model through computation.
