Materials and Interfaces Scientific Activities

Scientific Activities
Research in the Department of Materials and Interfaces is focused in three central areas:

Functional Materials and Interfaces

Nano Science

Soft- and Bio-Materials

More specifically, scientific activities in the department include:

Alternative, sustainable energy conversion and storage (Cahen, Hodes, Kronik, Levy, Lubomirsky)
Biological materials and interfaces (Bar-Ziv, Elbaum, Klein, Rubinstein, Safran, Wagner)
(Bio)Molecular Electronics (Cahen, Joselevich, Kronik, Sagiv)
Cell-free biochemistry, biochip and Synthetic biology (Bar-Ziv, Elbaum)
Chemical bottom-up nano- and microfabrication (Sagiv)
Computational materials research (Kronik)
Electrochemistry (Rubinstein)
Homo chiral bio polymers and Bio chirogenesis (Lahav)
Interface design and structure (Klein, Kronik, Rubinstein, Sagiv)
Optoelectronic and magnetic materials for Microelectronics and Electromechanics (Cahen, Lubomirsky, Kronik, Rubinstein)
Materials synthesis (Hodes, Lubomirsky, Tenne, Wagner)
Mechanical behavior of materials (Joselevich, Klein, Lubomirsky, Safran, Tenne)
Microfluidics (Bar-Ziv)
Molecular machines in the cell (Elbaum)
Nanomechanics (Joselevich, Wagner)
Nano-tubes, -wires and nanology (Joselevich, Klein, Tenne)
Polymers and complex fluids (Elbaum, Klein,Levy, Safran, Sagiv, Wagner)
Polycrystalline ceramics (Lubomirsky)
Quantum dots (Hodes)
Self-assembly of materials and interfaces (Cahen, Joselevich, Klein, Leiserowitz, Rubinstein, Sagiv)
Sensors and detectors (Lubomirsky, Rubinstein)
Soft matter theory and experiments (Klein, Levy, Safran, Sagiv, Wagner)

The Department of Materials and Interfaces of the Weizmann Institute of Science is an interdisciplinary scientific unit composed of chemists, (bio) physicists, and (bio)materials researchers. A common theme of much of the research done in the department is the design of materials from elementary units with unique, pre-designed functionality. A complementary effort involves the understanding of the functionality of various materials, based on their supra-molecular or, in the case of non-molecular materials, collective architecture.

The research includes a broad range of materials, such as solids with extended bond-ing displaying cooperative properties (dielectric and opto-electronic materials); nanomaterials, like carbon and inorganic nanotubes; ultra thin pyro-electric films; sol-ids and liquids with mainly molecular bonding, such as complex fluids and molecular crystals; ultra-thin organic, inorganic and biological films and assemblies; size- quan-tized nanoparticles and fulleroids; molecularly functionalized semiconductors and metals, also for (bio) sensors and for (bio)molecular electronics; polymers, including polymer brushes and polymers for cloud seeding; and nanocomposites displaying unique mechanical properties. Biopolymer mechanics and molecular transport phe-nomena in the cell are studied, also for imitation of biological transport strategies. Further activities include solar cell (photovoltaic) materials and device structures and planned self-assembly of novel nanostructures on scanning-probe-patterned organic monolayer templates. Several new research groups have been established over the last few years in the areas of carbon nanotubes and scanning probe microscopy, of mechanisms of biological transcription on Si chips, using microfabrication and micro-fluidics, in computational materials research, a group that focuses on to the study of clusters, magnetic nanoparticles, nanocrystalline materials, inorganic-organic inter-faces and optical phenomena in semiconductors and one in the general area of elastic effects in the chemistry of materials, that focuses on nanocrystalline electroceramic films, and quasi-amorphous ceramic films.

A further theme is the development of novel theoretical and experimental methods for probing interfaces between liquids, solids and gases. These include force measure-ment techniques at sub-nm surface separation; nanomechanical testing of nanotubes; electrochemical, X-ray diffraction and reflectivity approaches, the latter two using bright and collimated light from synchrotron sources; optical tweezers; functional scanning probe microscopies and spectroscopies, grazing angle IR spectroscopy; and unique applications of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Many research facilities that are used extensively by department scientists are part of the Chemical Support Ser-vices unit. These include the high-resolution electron microscopy laboratories, FIB, lab for surface sciences (scanning probe microscopies and photoelectron spectros-copy), combined clean rooms / microfabrication / biological specimen manipulation ("nano-bio") laboratories. Further facilities in the department or Chemical Support Services that have just started or are in various stages of planning are systems for low temperature electrical transport and for optical characterization of materials.

In addition to new insights in how materials properties can be understood from their atomic, molecular, macromolecular and over-all composition and structure, this strategy permits us to explore new materials and materials combinations. In several cases potential applications are part of the research goals.

Recent accomplishments include:

Bar-Ziv Roy Genetic circuit elements were constructed in vitro by engineering transcrip-tional activation and repression cascades, in which the protein product of each stage is the input required to drive or block the following stage.

Cahen David Electronic quality molecular monolayers were made that allow studying Si-based hybrid systems for molecular (with simple molecules) and bio-electronics (with proteins)

Elbaum Michael Thermodynamics of molecular exchange at the cell nucleus, biomaterials involved in gene transfer between living organisms, soft X-ray microscopy.

Hodes Gary 1 ppm impurities were shown to dictate the success or failure of solution deposition of ZnO films and to determine the chemical identity of semicon-ductor composites. New nanocrystalline solar cells were studied and tested

Joselevich Ernesto Growing carbon nanotubes on crystal surfaces led to their organization into well-defined geometries, such as serpentine, coiled, and more… Torsion-induced conductance oscillations and torsional stick-slip behavior were found by twisting carbon and inorganic nanotubes.

Klein Jacob Charged and zwitterionic polymer brushes, as well as surfactant layers in aqueous media, reduce friction between sliding surfaces to uniquely low values at mammalian joints, with implications for both tissue engineering and prosthetic implants.

Kronik Leeor Major advances in quantitative first principle calculations of molecular as-semblies that were made include, among others, accounting for dispersive interactions and describing charge transfer excitations.

Lubomirsky Igor Novel quasi-amorphous piezo-electric films were produced and their unique structure and properties studied. Approaches to improving photovoltaic solar cells via optical and optics-based pathways were critically examined; an ultra-cheap,simple system for solar spectral splitting was developed.

Rubinstein Israel Discontinuous, island-type gold films on transparent substrates exhibiting morphology-dependent optical properties were studied and used as trans-ducers for chemical and biological sensing.

Safran Sam Self-assembly of inhomogeneous and charged membranes with application to rafts in biological cells; elastic interactions and orientations of cells in gels and applications to biomaterials.

Sagiv Jacob Rapid multiple replication of hydrophilic-hydrophobic organic monolayer pat-terns via a novel "contact electrochemical" process based on wetting dis-crimination was proposed and demonstrated.

Tenne Reshef The first core-shell nanotubes of layered compounds were synthesized. With abberation-corrected transmission electronmicroscopy (0.7 A resolu-tion), the details of the growth mechanism of WS2 nanotubes were eluci-dated.

Wagner Daniel H The microstructure-property relation of dentine viewed as a composite was studied by nanoindentation with micro sized pillar-like specimens, under compression; adhesion energies of a single carbon (C) nanotube to a poly-mer matrix and organic liquids were determined; mechanical behavior of single C and inorganic nanotubes was studied; spontaneous anisotropic change in size and shape of live cell focal adhesion on fibronectin-coated glass surfaces was studied with composite mechanics.

Lahav Meir Spontaneous enantio-selective polymerization of racemic amino acids into homochiral peptides in water, thin films and crystals was accomplished; its relevance to the origin of biochirogenesis was hypothesized.

Leiserowitz Les Antimalarial drug design via hemozoin crystal inhibition and models on hemozoin nucleation. 2D crystal alignment of oligopeptide ?-helices & ?-sheets on water induced by polarized IR laser field.

Reich Shimon The relationship between superconductivity and the size of lead nanoparti-cles was determined dating of archeological lead artifacts using the super-conductivity of this metal was undertaken.

Functional Materials and Interfaces
Nano Science
Soft- and Bio-Materials

Bar-Ziv Roy	Genetic circuit elements were constructed in vitro by engineering transcrip-tional activation and repression cascades, in which the protein product of each stage is the input required to drive or block the following stage.
Cahen David	Electronic quality molecular monolayers were made that allow studying Si-based hybrid systems for molecular (with simple molecules) and bio-electronics (with proteins)
Elbaum Michael	Thermodynamics of molecular exchange at the cell nucleus, biomaterials involved in gene transfer between living organisms, soft X-ray microscopy.
Hodes Gary	1 ppm impurities were shown to dictate the success or failure of solution deposition of ZnO films and to determine the chemical identity of semicon-ductor composites. New nanocrystalline solar cells were studied and tested
Joselevich Ernesto	Growing carbon nanotubes on crystal surfaces led to their organization into well-defined geometries, such as serpentine, coiled, and more… Torsion-induced conductance oscillations and torsional stick-slip behavior were found by twisting carbon and inorganic nanotubes.
Klein Jacob	Charged and zwitterionic polymer brushes, as well as surfactant layers in aqueous media, reduce friction between sliding surfaces to uniquely low values at mammalian joints, with implications for both tissue engineering and prosthetic implants.
Kronik Leeor	Major advances in quantitative first principle calculations of molecular as-semblies that were made include, among others, accounting for dispersive interactions and describing charge transfer excitations.
Lubomirsky Igor	Novel quasi-amorphous piezo-electric films were produced and their unique structure and properties studied. Approaches to improving photovoltaic solar cells via optical and optics-based pathways were critically examined; an ultra-cheap,simple system for solar spectral splitting was developed.
Rubinstein Israel	Discontinuous, island-type gold films on transparent substrates exhibiting morphology-dependent optical properties were studied and used as trans-ducers for chemical and biological sensing.
Safran Sam	Self-assembly of inhomogeneous and charged membranes with application to rafts in biological cells; elastic interactions and orientations of cells in gels and applications to biomaterials.
Sagiv Jacob	Rapid multiple replication of hydrophilic-hydrophobic organic monolayer pat-terns via a novel "contact electrochemical" process based on wetting dis-crimination was proposed and demonstrated.
Tenne Reshef	The first core-shell nanotubes of layered compounds were synthesized. With abberation-corrected transmission electronmicroscopy (0.7 A resolu-tion), the details of the growth mechanism of WS2 nanotubes were eluci-dated.
Wagner Daniel H	The microstructure-property relation of dentine viewed as a composite was studied by nanoindentation with micro sized pillar-like specimens, under compression; adhesion energies of a single carbon (C) nanotube to a poly-mer matrix and organic liquids were determined; mechanical behavior of single C and inorganic nanotubes was studied; spontaneous anisotropic change in size and shape of live cell focal adhesion on fibronectin-coated glass surfaces was studied with composite mechanics.
Lahav Meir	Spontaneous enantio-selective polymerization of racemic amino acids into homochiral peptides in water, thin films and crystals was accomplished; its relevance to the origin of biochirogenesis was hypothesized.
Leiserowitz Les	Antimalarial drug design via hemozoin crystal inhibition and models on hemozoin nucleation. 2D crystal alignment of oligopeptide ?-helices & ?-sheets on water induced by polarized IR laser field.
Reich Shimon	The relationship between superconductivity and the size of lead nanoparti-cles was determined dating of archeological lead artifacts using the super-conductivity of this metal was undertaken.