The overall experience of PREM students and supporting their development and success is the primary focus of Center staff.
The overall experience of PREM students and supporting their development and success is the primary focus of Center staff.

The partnership between North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and the Penn State Center for Nanoscale Science advances institutional research and educational capabilities in materials at NCCU and strengthens the workforce development pipeline for STEM disciplines. The core research thrusts are: (1) charge transport in individual and coupled semiconductor nanostructures, (2) plasmonic materials for optical filter and sensor applications, (3) functionalized 2D materials for spintronic and electronic applications, and (4) seed projects on properties of nanoscale patterned ferroics and development of perovskite based multiferroic materials.

NCCU- PSU PUBLICATIONS (PREM 2.0)

*PREM postdocs and graduate students underlined, undergraduate students italicized, NCCU and PSU faculty in bold.

  1. T. R. Seling, A. K. Shringi, K. Wang,U. Riaz, F. Yan. Bi2O2S nanosheets for effective visible light photocatalysis of anionic dye degradation. Mater. Lett. 2024. 361, 136136.  DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2024.136136
  2. T. R. Seling, R. R. Katzbaer, K. L. Thompson, S. E. Aksoy, B. Chitara, A. K. Shringi, R. E. Schaak, U. Riaz, F. Yan. Transition metal-doped CuO nanosheets for enhanced visible-light photocatalysis. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A: Chemistry. 2024, 448, 115356. DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2023.115356
  3. B. Chitara, E. Dimitrov, M. Liu, T. R. Seling B. S. C. Kolli, D. Zhou, Z. Yu, A. K. Shringi, M. Terrones, F. Yan. Charge transfer modulation in vanadium-doped WS2/Bi2O2Se heterostructures. Small. 2023, 2302289. DOI:10.1002/smll.202302289.
  4. X. Dong, R. R. Katzbaer, B. Chitara, L. Han, L. Yang,R. E. Schaak, F. Yan. Optimizing the synergistic effect of CuWO4-CuS hybrid composites for photocatalytic inactivation of pathogenic bacteria. Environ. Sci. Nano. 2022, 9, 4283 – 4294. DOI: 10.1039/D2EN00361A
  5. T. B. Limbu, S. Kumari, Z. Wang, C. Dhital, Q. Li, Y. Tang, F. Yan. Ingeniously enhanced ferromagnetism in chemically-reduced 2D Ti3C2TX MXene. Mater. Chem. Phys. 2022, 285, 126155. DOI:10.1016/j.matchemphys.2022.126155
  6. B. Chitara, K. Zhang, M. Y. Garcia Cervantes, T. B. Limbu, B. Adhikari, S. Huang, F. Yan. Probing charge transfer in 2D MoS2/tellurene type-II p-n heterojunctions. MRS Comm. 2021, 11, 868–872. https://doi.org/10.1557/s43579-021-00117-w
  7. T. B. Limbu, B. Chitara, M. Y. Garcia Cervantes, Yu Zhou, S. Huang, Y. Tang, and F. Yan. Unravelling the thickness dependence and mechanism of surface-enhanced Raman scattering on Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets. Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 2020, 124, 17772–17782. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c05143
  8. T. B. Limbu, B. Chitara, M. Y. Garcia Cervantes, J. D. Orlando, S. Kumari, Q. Li, Y. Tang, and F. Yan. Green synthesis of reduced Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets with enhanced conductivity, oxidation stability, and SERS activity. Journal of Materials Chemistry C. 2020, 8, 4722-4731. DOI: 10.1039/C9TC06984D Back Cover.
  9. Jason D. Orlando, Ethan Kahn, Cindy Y. Wong, Yin-ting Yeh, Tej B. Limbu, Basant Chitara,  Ana L. Elias, Mauricio Terrones, and Fei Yan. Ultrastrong Raman enhancement on gold nanoparticle-decorated transition metal dichalcogenides nanosheets for molecule detection. Journal of Analytical Science. 2019, 35, 811-816. DOI: 10.13526/j.issn.1006-6144.2019.06.018 

 

NCCU-PSU INTERCHANGE

2023

NCCU visit to Penn State for extended Graduate School Open House weekend

  • NCCU attendees: 6 undergraduate students, 1 postdoc, 3 faculty
  • 1st day included facilities tours, outreach activity workshop, instrument demonstrations, and meals with MRSEC graduate students, GREaT GradS alumni, and PREM course mentors.
  • PREM students went on to the Grad School Open House where they attended panels, learned about the application process, and met with faculty in their expressed areas of interest.
  • NCCU faculty had group meetings to discuss research synergies with PSU faculty and presented a talk to a broad materials audience, sparking several new interactions
  • Visit bolstered 3 existing partnerships and initiated 4 new collaborations

2020

"In response to Covid-19, we made a rapid pivot for our Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) from an in-person 10-week research experience to a virtual research preparation and professional development program, which was designed to prepare science and engineering undergraduates and master’s students for their entrance into the workplace or their continuation in a graduate program. The overarching goal of this virtual experience was to develop and hone professional skills that are often not explicitly taught in science and engineering classes." - Preliminary abstract for the 2021 American Society for Engineering Educators (ASEE) Conference.

  • Crespi and Mathews attend NCCU EAB meeting.
  • Vinod, LaBennett, and 2 students attend PSU-TFI - Mission: Materials Science expansion workshop.
  • Vinodgopal, Taylar, Chavis attend PSU for sample measurements (postponed due to Covid)
  • 6 students (3 M.S.) participated in PSU's virtual REU: Professional development and Research Preparation (10 weeks, via zoom).
  • 4 students and 2 faculty developed an online demo for Mission: Materials Science website (via zoom).
  • Mathews continues to work with NCCU PREM students following the end of the REU to read and review personal statements (2 students), and resume (1 student) via email and zoom.
  • Mathews presented at Taylor's Polymer Conference: "The Well Written Personal Statement" via zoom.

2019

Deepen the research relationship between NCCU and PSU by having three NCCU faculty come to visit Penn State to give MRSEC seminars, meet with Penn State faculty, and perform analysis and characterization on their samples at MRI. 

  • Wu and Yan visit PSU for MRSEC seminars, TEM work, and discussions with PSU faculty.
  • NCCU postdoc Limbu (Yan group visits PSU for SEM, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy in collaboration with the Mallouk lab.
  • 4 students (1 M.S.) visit PSU over summer.
  • Mathews visits NCCU for PREM workshop on personal statemetns. Met with NCCU students individually to discuss personal statements (PREM and non-PREM students) and followed up with email.
  • Taylor visit PSU for MRSEC seminar.  

2018

Engagement and exchange between continues to grow between the two Univiersities. Kleyeser Agueda Lopez an NCCU and MRSEC grad student returns to NCCU to talk about his experience as a grad student and how he got where he is at Penn State. 

  • 4 students (1 M.S.) visit PSU over summer.
  • Mathews visits NCCU for mini-workshop on personal statements and how to take advantage of research opportunities, with email followup (PREM & beyond)
  • Kleyeser Agueda Lopez (NCCU alum & MRSEC grad student) visits NCCU to speak with students.
  • Olabode Oladele attends PSU STEM Open House.
  • Acosta admitted to PSU Chemistry graduate program.
  • Crespi gives research seminar following EAB meeting. 

2017

  • Three NCCU students attend Penn State's Grad School STEM Open House to learn more about PSU's grad programs in the College of Science, Engineering and/or Earth & Mineral Science.
  • 5 studnets (1 M.S.) visit PSU over summer.
  • Wu attends Graphene and Beyond workshop, submits a sample proposal 2DCC. Student works in Robinson lab next summer.
  • Hudson and Dasgupta host mentoring workshop at NCCU & guest lecture in physics.
  • Yan's postdoc Chen visits Schaak's lab at PSU.
  • Agueda, Ramirez and Acosta attend STEM Open House.

2016

  • NCCU PREM inagural year kicks off with undergrad and masters students coming to Penn State for their 10-week summer REU program. Faculty exchanges start with NCCU faculty coming to Penn State for characterization of samples and Penn State faculty visiting NCCU to deepen faculty research connections.
  • 5 students (2 M.S.) visit PSU over summer to kickoff the inagural summer for the Penn Pals Program.
  • Vinod visits PSU several times for characterization, attends Graphene and Beyond workshop.
  • Mallouk visits NCCU for a seminar and a guest lecture in two chemistry classes.
  • Crespi, Hudson, and Terrones visit NCCU for research discussions with faculty and students.

2015

Prior to the NCCU PREM proposal being funded, three NCCU faculty came to visit Penn State and to establish research connections.

  • Three NCCU faculty visit PSU pre-submission.
  • Dreyer and Purdy-Drew visit NCCU at PREM launch