We are centered on using chemical and physical engineering approaches towards synthesis and fabrication of 2-dimensional (2D) layered materials with novel electronic, photonic, and chemical properties. We investigate the optical and electronic properties of the 2D materials and the devices at nanoscale level by scanning probe microscopy techniques. We explore these materials for applications in clean energy and sensors. We develop high-performance organic devices such as organic thin-film transistors and electronic DNA sequencing technologies. We pay great attention on the safety of the 2D materials.
1. Production of graphene and graphene-like 2D materials
We synthesize graphene with effort on the controlling of the number and the crystalline structure of graphene layers by developing new methods. Our goal is to produce large size and high quality graphene sheets uniformly covering an entire substrate. We also functionalize graphene layers by chemical methods. We investigate the transport properties of our graphene samples.
Refs.
(1) Mingsheng Xu*, Tao Liang, Minmin Shi, Hongzheng Chen, "Graphene-like two-dimensional materials", Chem. Rev. 2013 DOI: 10.1021/cr300263a
(2) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Keisuke Sagisaka, Eiichiro Watanabe, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Production of extended single-layer graphene”, ACS Nano 5, 1522-1528 (2011).
(3) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Hongzheng Chen, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Formation of monolayer and few-layer hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets via surface segregation”, Nanoscale 3, 2854-2858 (2011).
(4) Xi Yang, Mingsheng Xu, Weiming Qiu, Xiaoqiang Chen, Meng Deng, Jinglin Zhang, Hideo Iwai, Eiichiro Watanabe, and Hongzheng Chen*, “Graphene Uniformly Decorated by Gold Nanodots: In Situ Synthesis, Enhanced Dispersibility and Its Applications”, J. Mater. Chem. 21, 8096-8103 (2011).
(5) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Jianhua Gao, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Auger electron spectroscopy: a Rational Method for Determining Thickness of Graphene Films”, ACS Nano 4, 2937-2945 (2010).
(6) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Monitoring electron-beam irradiation effect on graphenes by temporal Auger electron spectroscopy”, Nanotechnology 21, 265705 (2010) .
We synthesize graphene with effort on the controlling of the number and the crystalline structure of graphene layers by developing new methods. Our goal is to produce large size and high quality graphene sheets uniformly covering an entire substrate. We also functionalize graphene layers by chemical methods. We investigate the transport properties of our graphene samples.
Refs.
(1) Mingsheng Xu*, Tao Liang, Minmin Shi, Hongzheng Chen, "Graphene-like two-dimensional materials", Chem. Rev. 2013 DOI: 10.1021/cr300263a
(2) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Keisuke Sagisaka, Eiichiro Watanabe, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Production of extended single-layer graphene”, ACS Nano 5, 1522-1528 (2011).
(3) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Hongzheng Chen, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Formation of monolayer and few-layer hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets via surface segregation”, Nanoscale 3, 2854-2858 (2011).
(4) Xi Yang, Mingsheng Xu, Weiming Qiu, Xiaoqiang Chen, Meng Deng, Jinglin Zhang, Hideo Iwai, Eiichiro Watanabe, and Hongzheng Chen*, “Graphene Uniformly Decorated by Gold Nanodots: In Situ Synthesis, Enhanced Dispersibility and Its Applications”, J. Mater. Chem. 21, 8096-8103 (2011).
(5) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Jianhua Gao, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Auger electron spectroscopy: a Rational Method for Determining Thickness of Graphene Films”, ACS Nano 4, 2937-2945 (2010).
(6) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Monitoring electron-beam irradiation effect on graphenes by temporal Auger electron spectroscopy”, Nanotechnology 21, 265705 (2010) .
2. Graphene for clean energy
We employ our graphene for transparent electrodes, supercapacitors, and Li-ion battery fabrication.
We employ our graphene for transparent electrodes, supercapacitors, and Li-ion battery fabrication.
3. Graphene for biosensors
We are exploring graphene for, in particular, direct, rapid, and inexpensive electronic DNA sequencing. We have reported that the four DNA bases show base-specific electronic signature (Small 3, 1539, 2007). By considering the unique electronic properties of graphene with thickness of 0.334 nm that is thinner than the distance between neigboring DNA bases in a DNA strand, we proposed in 2009 that the using graphene could achieve single-base resolution for rapid DNA sequencing (Small 5, 2638 (2009)). Now, this becomes a very exciting direction towards $1000 genome.
Refs.
(1) Mingsheng Xu*, S. Tsukamoto, S. Satomi, M. Kitamura, Y, Arakawa, R. G. Endres, M. Shimoda, “Conductance of single thiolated poly(GC)-poly(GC) DNA molecules”, Applied Physics Letters 87, 083902 (2005).
(2) Mingsheng Xu*, R. G. Endres, S. Tsukamoto, M. Kitamura, S. Satomi, Y, Arakawa, “Conformation and Local Environment Dependent Conductance of DNA Molecules”, Small 1, 1168-1172 (2005).
(3) Mingsheng Xu*, Robert G. Endres, and Yasuhiko Arakawa, “Theelectronic properties of DNA bases”, Small 3, 1539-1543 (2007).
(4) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, and Nobutaka Hanagata, “Perspective and challenges of emerging single-molecule DNA sequencing technologies”, Small 5, 2638-2649 (2009).
We are exploring graphene for, in particular, direct, rapid, and inexpensive electronic DNA sequencing. We have reported that the four DNA bases show base-specific electronic signature (Small 3, 1539, 2007). By considering the unique electronic properties of graphene with thickness of 0.334 nm that is thinner than the distance between neigboring DNA bases in a DNA strand, we proposed in 2009 that the using graphene could achieve single-base resolution for rapid DNA sequencing (Small 5, 2638 (2009)). Now, this becomes a very exciting direction towards $1000 genome.
Refs.
(1) Mingsheng Xu*, S. Tsukamoto, S. Satomi, M. Kitamura, Y, Arakawa, R. G. Endres, M. Shimoda, “Conductance of single thiolated poly(GC)-poly(GC) DNA molecules”, Applied Physics Letters 87, 083902 (2005).
(2) Mingsheng Xu*, R. G. Endres, S. Tsukamoto, M. Kitamura, S. Satomi, Y, Arakawa, “Conformation and Local Environment Dependent Conductance of DNA Molecules”, Small 1, 1168-1172 (2005).
(3) Mingsheng Xu*, Robert G. Endres, and Yasuhiko Arakawa, “Theelectronic properties of DNA bases”, Small 3, 1539-1543 (2007).
(4) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, and Nobutaka Hanagata, “Perspective and challenges of emerging single-molecule DNA sequencing technologies”, Small 5, 2638-2649 (2009).
4. Nano-biological interaction
We mainly focus on nanotoxicity -- to study the potential impact of nanomaterials on environment, health and society (NanoEHS). We identify the key physicochemical characteristics of nanomaterials that govern the interaction with biological system. We investigate the nanomaterial dynamics in biological environment.
Refs.
(1) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Shoko Kajiwara, Takashi Minowa, Xianglan Li, Taro, Takemura, Hideo Iwai, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Contribution of physicochemical characteristics of nano-oxides to cytotoxicity”, Biomaterials 31, 8022-31 (2010).
(2) Nobutaka Hanagata*, Fei Zhuang, Sarah Connolly, Jie Li, Nobuhiro Ogawa and Mingsheng Xu, "Molecular Responses of Human Lung Epithelial Cells to the Toxicity of Copper OxideNanoparticles Inferred from Whole Genome Expression Analysis", ACS Nano 5, 9326–9338 (2011)
(3) Mingsheng Xu*, Jie Li, Hideo Iwai, Qingsong Mei, Daisuke Fujita, Huanxin Su, Hongzheng Chen, Nobutaka Hanagata, "Formation of Nano-Bio-Complex as Nanomaterials Dispersed in a Biological Solution for Understanding Nanobiological Interactions", Scientific Reports 2, 406 (2012).
(4) Mingsheng Xu*, Jie Li, Nobutaka Hanagata, Huanxing Su, Hongzheng Chen, Daisuke Fujita, “Challenge to assess the toxic contribution of metal cation released from nanomaterials for nanotoxicology – the case of ZnO nanoparticles”, Nanoscale (2013, accepted).
We mainly focus on nanotoxicity -- to study the potential impact of nanomaterials on environment, health and society (NanoEHS). We identify the key physicochemical characteristics of nanomaterials that govern the interaction with biological system. We investigate the nanomaterial dynamics in biological environment.
Refs.
(1) Mingsheng Xu*, Daisuke Fujita, Shoko Kajiwara, Takashi Minowa, Xianglan Li, Taro, Takemura, Hideo Iwai, Nobutaka Hanagata, “Contribution of physicochemical characteristics of nano-oxides to cytotoxicity”, Biomaterials 31, 8022-31 (2010).
(2) Nobutaka Hanagata*, Fei Zhuang, Sarah Connolly, Jie Li, Nobuhiro Ogawa and Mingsheng Xu, "Molecular Responses of Human Lung Epithelial Cells to the Toxicity of Copper OxideNanoparticles Inferred from Whole Genome Expression Analysis", ACS Nano 5, 9326–9338 (2011)
(3) Mingsheng Xu*, Jie Li, Hideo Iwai, Qingsong Mei, Daisuke Fujita, Huanxin Su, Hongzheng Chen, Nobutaka Hanagata, "Formation of Nano-Bio-Complex as Nanomaterials Dispersed in a Biological Solution for Understanding Nanobiological Interactions", Scientific Reports 2, 406 (2012).
(4) Mingsheng Xu*, Jie Li, Nobutaka Hanagata, Huanxing Su, Hongzheng Chen, Daisuke Fujita, “Challenge to assess the toxic contribution of metal cation released from nanomaterials for nanotoxicology – the case of ZnO nanoparticles”, Nanoscale (2013, accepted).