New functional ceramics, oxide semiconductors and electroceramic materials are inevitably required for the next generation of energy storage, electronics and microelectronics. We have been investigating these new functional inorganic materials, by devising novel fabrication techniques and in particular by understanding the correlation between their structural parameters, at various length scales from molecular, nanometer to micrometer ranges, and their physical properties.
Ferroelectric, piezoelectric and oxide semiconductor thin films are indispensable for a wide range of sensors, actuators, memory devices and microelectromechanical systems. We have been studying several technologically important ferroelectric, piezoelectric and semiconductor thin films, whereby they have successfully synthesized via both chemistry-and physics-based processing routes. We have also investigated their unique ferroelectric, dielectric and piezoelectric behaviour, together with the physical origins behind these unique phenomena for thin films.
Nanohybrids and mesoporous materials are designed for energy generation, energy storage and biomedical applications. We have successfully developed several technologically demanding nanohybrids and mesoporous materials for applications in photovoltaics, energy storage and drug delivery. Their nano and mesoporous structures can well be tailored by controlling the processing parameters involved in the novel synthesis routes designed for them.