Munro Research Group

In the Munro Lab, we study the synthesis, surface chemistry, stability, and properties of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals. We have studied ligand exchange and we grow nanocrystals in a variety of shape and sizes. Student researchers work in our lab during the academic year and as part of the Natural Sciences Undergraduate Summer Research Program.

In a typical summer 2-3 undergraduate students work in the Munro Lab for 10 weeks. They learn to synthesize colloidal nanocrystals using air-free techniques. The nanocrystals we make include doped and undoped materials, core/shell structures, and nanocrystals of varying shape. Students learn to characterize their samples using techniques such as UV-vis absorbance and photoluminescence spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, NMR, ICP-MS and TEM. Read more about our research in this 2023 PLU News article.

Our research group is part of the Primarily Undergraduate Nanomaterials Cooperative (PUNC) and members of our research group often present their results at regional and national conferences.