APPLIED PHYSICS GRADUATE PROGRAMJoint PhD Program Between Weinberg College and Mccormick School of Engineering

Research Interests

There is no doubt that properties and performance of materials are dictated by complex atomic and nanoscale features and phenomena. Our research is geared towards not only their understanding but manipulation as well. Such phenomena include nanostructured materials- especially inorganic/organic hybrids, and various defects in materials.

On one front, we are investigating the synthesis, patterning and characterization of nanostructured materials such as metal/alloy nanocrystals, biomolecular nanopatterns (DNA/proteins), interfaces between inorganic nanostructures and biomolecules, etc. These structures possess unique and novel morphologies and chemistry, and their electronic structure also depends on size and shape. We are exploring applications of such structures, including drug delivery, bio-diagnostics and bio-chem sensing.

We are also involved in atomic-scale structure-property relationship for internal interfaces, domains and mosaics. In a large number of material systems, such as electroceramics, semiconductors, superlattices, and structural composites, the property and performance of the bulk material are intimately connected to the structure, chemistry, and electronic structure of interfaces.

The philosophy of our approach is based on the sound fundamental foundation of complex phenomena, the liberal use of advanced instrumentation and techniques and the quest for proof-of-concepts for devices as well.

Associations and Awards

• Election to Faculty Honor Roll: NU Associated Student Government (2008-2009)
• Microscopy Society of America (MSA) Fellowship (2009) 
• Richard M. Fulrath Award (2008)
• American Ceramic Society Fellow (2003)
• 6th McBain Memorial Award, NCL, India (2007)
• First McCormick Faculty Excellence Award (2006)
• Editor, Microscopy & Microanalysis, MSA Flagship Journal
• Editorial boards, Journal of Microscopy, Journal of Materials Research
• Teacher of the Year (2001-2)
• NIH Sabbatical Faculty Fellow (2001-2)
• ASM-IIM Visiting Faculty Fellow (2001)
• Distinguished Alumni Service Award, IIT Bombay, India (2001)
• Kurt Heinrich Award, Microbeam Analysis Society, 1998
• R. L. Coble Award for Young Scholars, American Ceramic Society (ACerS), 1998
• Burton Medal, Microscopy Society of America (MSA), 1996
• IBM Faculty Development Award, 1995
• Exxon Foundation Fellowship, 1995
• NSF Young Investigator Award, 1993–98

Selected Publications

Dravid, Vinayak P.; Chou, Stanley S.; Prasad, Pottumarthi V.; Jaiswal, Manish K.; De, Mrinmoy, “Thermoresponsive magnetic hydrogels as theranostic nanoconstructs", ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, (2014)

Dravid, Vinayak P.; Late, Dattatray J.; Shirodkar, Sharmila N.; Waghmare, Umesh V.; Rao, C.N.R., “Thermal expansion, anharmonicity and temperature-dependent Raman spectra of single- and few-layer MoSe 2 and WSe 2”, ChemPhysChem, (2014)

Dravid, Vinayak P.; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Zhao, Li-Dong, “The panoscopic approach to high performance thermoelectrics”, Energy and Environmental Science, (2014)

Dravid, Vinayak P.; Zhao, Li-Dong; Uher, Ctirad; et al.; Lo, Shih-Han, “High thermoelectric performance of p-type SnTe via a synergistic band engineering and nanostructuring approach”, Journal of the American Chemical Society, (2014)

Seidman, David N.; Hogan, Timothy P.; et al.; Korkosz, Rachel J.; Chasapis, Thomas C., “High ZT in p-type (PbTe) 1-2x (PbSe) x (PbS) x thermoelectric materials”, Journal of the American Chemical Society, (2014)

Dravid, Vinayak P.; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Zhao, Li-Dong; Hao, Shiqiang; Chen, Chang-Qiang, “Theoretical prediction and experimental confirmation of unusual ternary ordered semiconductor compounds in Sr-Pb-S system”, Journal of the American Chemical Society, (2014)

Dravid, Vinayak P.; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Zhao, Li-Dong; Uher, Ctirad; Wolverton, C., “Ultralow thermal conductivity and high thermoelectric figure of merit in SnSe crystals”, Nature, (2014)

Dravid, Vinayak P.; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G.; Uher, Ctirad; Chasapis, Thomas C.; Lo, Shih-Han, “Contrasting role of antimony and bismuth dopants on the thermoelectric performance of lead selenide”, Nature Communications, (2014)

Chou, S. S., De, M., Kim, J., Byun, S., Dykstra, C., Yu, J., Dravid, V. P., “Ligand Conjugation of Chemically Exfoliated MoS2”, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 135(12), 4584-4587, (2013).

Chou, S. S., Kaehr, B., Kim, J., Foley, B. M., De, M., Hopkins, P. E., Huang, J. X., Dravid, V. P., “Chemically Exfoliated MoS2 as Near-Infrared Photothermal Agents”, Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 52(15), 4160-4164, (2013).

He, J. Q., Zhao, L. D., Zheng, J. C., Doak, J. W., Wu, H. J., Wang, H. Q., Lee, Y., Wolverton, C., Kanatzidis, M. G., Dravid, V. P., “Role of Sodium Doping in Lead Chalcogenide Thermoelectrics”, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 135(12), 4624-4627, (2013).

Lee, Y., Lo, S. H., Androulakis, J., Wu, C. I., Zhao, L. D., Chung, D. Y., Hogan, T. P., Dravid, V. P., Kanatzidis, M. G., “High-Performance Tellurium-Free Thermoelectrics: All-Scale Hierarchical Structuring of p-Type PbSe-MSe Systems (M = Ca, Sr, Ba)”,Journal of the American Chemical Society, 135(13), 5152-5160, (2013).

Shekhawat, G. S., & Dravid, V. P., “Nanomechanical sensors: Bent on detecting cancer”, Nature Nanotechnology, 8(2), 77-78, (2013).

Zhao, L. D., Hao, S., Lo, S. H., Wu, C. I., Zhou, X., Lee, Y., Li, H., Biswas, K., Hogan, T. P., Uher, C., Wolverton, C., Dravid, V. P., Kanatzidis, M. G., “High Thermoelectric Performance via Hierarchical Compositionally Alloyed Nanostructures”, J Am Chem Soc, 135(19), 7364-7370, (2013).

Aslam, M, Dravid, VP, Meade, TJ. “Magnetic resonance contrast agent composition for pharmaceutical formulation for use as imaging enhancing agent for imaging cell, tissue or cancer comprises longitudinal contrast agent portion and transverse contrast agent portion.” International Patent WO2009036441-A2. Issued: March 19, 2009.

Dravid, Vinayak, Mirkin, Chad, Su, Ming, Liu, Xiaogang. “Patterning of Solid State Features by Direct Write Nanolithographic Printing.”  European Patent EP 1 502 154 B1. Issued: February 18, 2009.

Shekhawat, Gajendra and Dravid, Vinayak P. “Scanning Near Field Ultrasound Holography.” U.S. Patent 7,448,269. Issued: 11 November 2008.