My research interest is in the fabrication, functionalization and application of nanostructured materials—a class of new materials with at least one dimension at the nanometer scale. These materials are sometimes referred to as ‘artificial atoms’ because the density of their electronic states—which controls many physical properties—can be widely and easily tuned by adjusting composition, size, shape, crystal structure, and surface properties. My research therefore is trying to understand the formation and properties of nanostructures, design and fabricate novel electronic and photonic devices and other functional materials based on these nanostructures. Specifically, my research topics include:

Colloidal inorganic nanostructures: synthesis and surface modification

Self-assembly approaches to nanoscale electronic and photonic devices

Composite nanomaterials for catalytic applications

Biomedical applications of nanostructures

Colloidal and interface chemistry

Nanofabrication using unconventional methods

Selected Publications

1. Ge, J.; Zhang, Q.; Zhang, T. and Yin, Y. “Porous Silica Protected Core-Satellite Nanocomposite Catalysts: Controllable Reactivity, High Stability and Magnetic Recyclability”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2008, in press.

2. Hu, Y.; Ge, J.; Zhang, T. and Yin, Y., “A Blown Film Process to Disk-Shaped Polymer Ellipsoids”, Adv. Mater., 2008, in press.

3. Zhang, Q.; Zhang, T.; Ge, J. and Yin, Y., “Permeable Silica Shell through Surface-Protected Etching”, Nano Lett., 2008, 8, 2867-2871.

4. Li, J.; Ge, J.; Yin, Y. and Zhong, W., “Multiplexed Affinity-Based Protein Complexes Purification”, Anal. Chem., 2008, 80, 7068–7074.

5. Ge, J. and Yin. Y., “Magnetically Responsive Colloidal Photonic Crystals”, J. Mater. Chem., 2008, in press (highlight article).

6. Zhang, T.; Ge, J.; Hu, Y.; Zhang, Q.; Aloni, S.; and Yin. Y., "Formation of Hollow Silica Colloids through a Spontaneous Dissolution-Regrowth Process", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2008, 47, 5806-5811.

7. Ge, J. and Yin. Y., "Magnetically Tunable Colloidal Photonic Structures in Alkanol Solutions", Adv. Mater., 2008, 20, 3485-3491.

8. Hu, Y.; Ge, J.; Lim. D.; Zhang, T. and Yin, Y. "Size-Controlled Synthesis of Highly Water-Soluble Silver Nanocrystals", J. Solid State Chem., 2008, 181, 1524-1529. (invited article, special issue)

9. Ge, J.; Huynh, T.; Hu, Y. and Yin, Y. "Hierarchical Magnetite/Silica Nanoassemblies as Magnetically Recoverable Catalyst Support", Nano Lett., 2008, 8, 931-934.

10. Ge, J.; Hu, Y.; Zhang, T.; Huynh, T. and Yin, Y. "Self-Assembly and Field-Responsive Optical Diffractions of Superparamagnetic Colloids", Langmuir, 2008, 24, 3671-3680.

11. Zhang, T.; Ge, J.; Hu, Y. and Yin, Y. "A General Approach for Transferring Hydrophobic Nanocrystals into Water", Nano Lett. 2007, 7, 3203 -3207 (highlighted in Science).

12. Ge, J.; Hu, Y.; Zhang, T. and Yin, Y. “Superparamagnetic Composite Colloids with Anisotropic Structures”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 8974 -8975.

13. Ge, J.; Hu, Y. and Yin, Y. "Highly Tunable Superparamagnetic Colloidal Photonic Crystals", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 7428-7431 (Cover article, VIP paper, highlighted in Materials Today, Chemical & Engineering News, Technology Review, and Photonics Spectrum).

14. Ge, J.; Hu, Y.; Biasini, M.; Dong, C.; Guo, J.; Beyermann, W. P. and Yin, Y., “One-Step Synthesis of Highly Water-Soluble Magnetite Colloidal Nanocrystals”, Chem. Eur. J. 2007, 13, 7153-7161.

15. Hu, Y.; Ge, J.; Sun, Y.; Zhang, T. and Yin, Y. “A Self-Templated Approach to TiO2 Microcapsules”, Nano Lett. 2007, 7, 1832-1836.

16. Ge, J.; Hu, Y.; Biasini, M.; Beyermann, W. P. and Yin, Y., "Superparamagnetic Magnetite Colloidal Nanocrystal Clusters", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 4342-4345.

17. Yin, Y.; Erdonmez, C. K.; Aloni, S. and Alivisatos, A. P., “Faceting of Nanocrystals during Chemical Transformation: From Solid Silver Spheres to Hollow Gold Octahedra”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 12671-12673.

18. Yin, Y.; Erdonmez, C. K.; Cabot, A.; Hughes, S. and Alivisatos, A. P., “Colloidal Synthesis of Hollow Cobalt Sulfide Nanocrystals”, Adv. Func. Mater. 2006, 16, 1389-1399. (cover article)

19. Yin, Y. and Alivisatos, A. P., “Colloidal Nanocrystal Synthesis and the Organic-Inorganic Interface”, Nature 2005, 437, 664-670 (Insight review, cover article).

20. Yin, Y.; Rioux, R. M.; Erdonmez, C. K.; Hughes, S.; Somorjai, G. A. and Alivisatos, A. P., “Formation of Hollow Nanocrystals through the Nanoscale Kirkendall Effect”, Science 2004, 304, 711-714 (highlighted in Science and Materials Today).