Tisdale Lab: Nanomaterials Spectroscopy

The Tisdale Lab is a newly formed experimental research group, under the direction of Professor William Tisdale, in the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT. Broadly, interests lie in understanding and controlling the movement of energy in nanostructured materials. We care about the mechanisms by which excitons, free charges, phonons (heat), and reactive chemical species are converted to more useful forms of energy, and how we can leverage this understanding to guide materials design and process optimization. We specialize in advanced optical spectroscopy techniques, including femtosecond laser methods and near-field scanning optical microscopy, and we’re particularly enthusiastic about the use of colloidal quantum dots in next-generation renewable energy technologies.

Research in the Tisdale Lab is focused on the basic science and engineering of energy transport phenomena in nanostructured materials. We care about the mechanisms by which excitons, free charges, phonons (heat), and reactive chemical species are converted to more useful forms of energy, and how we can leverage this understanding to guide materials design and process optimization. We are actively engaged in the synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles, the investigation of methods for assembling these nanoscale building blocks into functional thin films, and the development of spectroscopic tools for interrogating their properties. We maintain close collaborative relationships with industrial partners, and our perspectives and ambitions are shaped by real engineering needs.