“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” ― Marie Curie
Emerging technologies demand advanced materials with meticulously tailored properties. At the SREE Lab, we respond to this challenge by refining and modulating charge and spin in materials to unlock new frontiers in catalysis and quantum technologies. Our research spans a variety of novel systems, including quantum structures (such as graphene nanoribbons and quantum dots), fullerenes, endohedral fullerenes, metal and covalent organic frameworks, and single-molecule catalysts. Using chemical synthesis, strain, external fields, and chirality, we precisely tailor the fundamental features of these materials, such as electronic configuration, electron density distributions, and spin states or orientations, and evaluate and investigate the changes in their physical and chemical properties using advanced characterization techniques, such as microscopy, spectroscopy, transport, and electrochemical measurements.
The SREE Lab’s Main Research Thrusts
1) Platinum Group Metal-Free (PGM-Free) Electrocatalysts
Our primary focus is to develop platinum group metal (PGM)-free catalysts by strategically tailoring the charge and spin states of quantum materials, frameworks, and heterostructures. This approach enables us to achieve superior catalytic activity and efficacy for a range of energy-relevant reactions, including hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, oxygen reduction, nitrogen reduction, and carbon dioxide reduction reactions. By harnessing these highly tunable catalysts, we aim to push the boundaries of sustainable energy solutions.
2) Quantum Bits (Qubits) and Controlled Arrays
Our second major focus centers on creating novel qubits and qubit arrays with meticulously controlled inter-qubit interactions, spin relaxation dynamics, and qubit density, paving the way for revolutionary quantum sensing and quantum computing platforms. Through confinement strategies and spin-regulation techniques, we strive to realize high-performance, scalable quantum architectures.
Beyond these core pursuits, we maintain strong interests in sensing, environmental remediation, and agriculture nanotechnology, capitalizing on the fundamental insights gained from our interdisciplinary investigations. Although our work is profoundly fundamental, it is application-driven and fueled by imagination and innovation, bridging the gap between transformative concepts and real-world impact in energy, environment, and quantum science.