Event
MSE Seminar: Synthesis of nanomaterials by atmospheric arc plasmas
Friday, October 15, 2021
1:00 p.m.
2110 CHE
Sherri Tatum
statum12@umd.edu
https://mse.umd.edu/seminar-series
Speaker: Carles Corbella, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, George Washington University
Title: Synthesis of nanomaterials by atmospheric arc plasmas
Abstract:
The Micro-Propulsion and Nanotechnology Laboratory at the George Washington University is aimed to expand the understanding of plasma and nanoscale phenomena. The research is based on three plasma-related applications: (1) propulsion by micro-thrusters, (2) plasma medicine to address cell migration and cancer therapy, and (3) plasma-based nanotechnology. After a brief introduction to each line, I will focus on nanotechnology research and the application of atmospheric plasmas to synthesize nanomaterials like graphene, carbon nanotubes, and MoS2 monolayers. The plasma-healing effect of anodic arc discharges and the investigation of pulsed arcs to tailor nanoparticle growth constitute the up-to-date highlights of the research line. The next challenge is the production of advanced nanostructures with tunable electrical and optical properties using arc plasma and other environmentally friendly techniques.
Biography:
Carles Corbella is a researcher of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at George Washington University. Carles got his PhD in Applied Physics in 2006 at the University of Barcelona, Spain. The topic was nanostructured diamond-like carbon (DLC) films grown by pulsed plasma techniques. In the meantime, he worked as research assistant in the sputtering laboratory of the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC). Next, Carles was awarded a Humboldt Fellowship to explore the plasma physics in industrial-size coaters at the Fraunhofer IST in Braunschweig, Germany. In 2008, back in the Barcelona University, he investigated ion-assisted techniques to tune DLC-based films for their application in photonics and nanoimprint molds. In the period 2011-2018, he worked as research scientist in the Reactive Plasmas Group (Experimental Physics II) at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. There, he conducted beam experiments to model elementary plasma-surface interactions in polymers and metal compounds. Since April 2018, Carles is appointed at the MAE Department to investigate synthesis of nanomaterials by anodic arc discharge, and to design atmospheric plasma sources for biomedical applications. Carles has been invited as speaker in many seminars and conferences, and he has experience as project leader and journal editor. Also, he has mentored Master and PhD students, and he served as Faculty to teach in different Universities.
