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Research Interests Dr. Charles J. O'Connor directs the Advanced Materials Research Institute (AMRI), a multidisciplinary materials research institute that combines the interests of academic, government and industrial scientists working on collaborative research projects. Individual projects being studied at AMRI range from the development of novel nanomaterials and nanocomposites, to thin films for use in the development of sensing devices and in biological applications. Research projects in Dr. O'Connor's laboratory are primarily in the area of nanomaterials, solid state chemistry, materials chemistry, and nanoscience, with an emphasis in the synthesis, fabrication, characterization, and investigation of properties of new materials. Current research topics include synthetic routes that lead to the nanophase design of a variety of materials with useful electric and magnetic properties. Nanocrystalline and nanocomposite materials are polycrystalline materials with grain sizes of 100 nm or less. Potential applications of nanophase magnetic materials include ultra high density magnetic recording media and smart materials. Novel synthetic techniques that produce ultra fine grained magnetic particles (e.g., synthesis of nano-ferrite particles in reverse micelles) and the subsequent deposition of these particles on surfaces and in composites will produce new materials with superior electromagnetic properties. Professor O’Connor’s research group also examines and characterizes magnetic behavior in molecular and solid state as well as nanophase inorganic materials. Significant recent accomplishments by Professor O’Connor include development of an outreach summer research program at UNO for high-school students, high-school teachers, and underrepresented minority undergraduates; directing an effort at UNO to help develop a Ph.D. program in Advanced Materials and Nanoscience as a collaborative program between Louisiana State University, the University of New Orleans, and Southern University Baton Rouge; and securing three large federal government grants and one large state grant (DARPA, $2.05M for research on development and applications of nanosensors; DARPA, $2.3 for research on advanced materials for quantum computing; DARPA, $3.89M for research on nanostructured composite materials for thermoelectric energy conversion; and Louisiana Board of Regents Post-Katrina Support Fund Initiative, $5.0M to establish a Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology in AMRI at the University of New Orleans). During the past five years he has co-authored 95 research papers and four review articles which have been published in the peer reviewed scientific literature; has co-authored 73 abstracts for presentations at scientific and technical meetings; has obtained one U.S. patent for the fabrication of unique nanomaterials; and has secured 13 research grants from federal, state and private agencies for a total of $22.7 M in outside funding for research.
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Selected Publications "Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Framework Materials: Synthesis and Characterization of [{Co(H2O)(L)}2V4O12] (L=Pyridine, 4-Methlypyridine),” M.I. Khan, E. Yohannes, R. Doedens, V.O. Golub, and C.J. O'Connor, J. Mol. Struct., 888(1-3), 2008, 19-24. "Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) Coated Iron Nanoparticles in Polar Aprotic Solvent,” Z. Ban, B.L. Cushing, and C.J. O'Connor, J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol., 8(4), 2008, 2091-2095. "Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Oxides: Structure and Magnetic Properties of [{Cu(terpy)}2Mo6O17(H2O)(O3PCH2NH2CH2PO3)2]×H2O, a Bimetallic Oxide Constructed from Novel {Mo6O17(H2O)(O3PCH2NH2CH2PO3)2}4- Clusters,” Y-.H. Chuang, H. Liu, C.J. O'Connor, and J. Zubieta, Inorg. Chem. Commun., 11(10), 2008, 1205-1208. "Synthesis and Characterization of Monodisperse Ultra-Thin Silica-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles, M. Zhang, B.L. Cushing, and C.J. O'Connor, Nanotechnol., 19(8), 2008, 085601/1-085601/5. "Fabrication of Magnetic Porous Hollow Silica Drug Carriers Using CaCO3/Fe3O4 Composite Nanoparticles and Cationic Surfactant Double Templates,” H. Ma, J. Zhou, D. Caruntu, M. Yu, J.F. Chen, C.J. O'Connor, and W.L. Zhou, J. Appl. Phys., 103(7, Pt. 2), 2008, 07A320/1-07A320/3. "Gold-Magnetite Nanocomposite Materials formed via Sonochemical Methods,” A. Pradhan, R.C. Jones, D. Caruntu, C.J. O'Connor, and M.A. Tarr, Ultrason. Sonochem., 15(5), 2008, 891-897. "Fabrication and Magnetic Properties of Co Nanostructures in AAO Membranes,” J.-S. Jung, L.Malkinski, J.-H. Lim, M. Yu, C. J. O’Connor, H.-O. Lee, and E.-M Kim, Bull. Korean Chem. Soc.,29(4),2008, 1-3. "Synthesis and Characterization of Monodisperse Ultra-Thin Silica-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles,” M. Zhang, B.L. Cushing and C.J. O’Connor, Nanotechnology, 19, 2008, 085601/1-085601/5. "Molybdophosphonate Clusters as Building Blocks in the Oxomolybdate-Organodiphosphonate/Cobalt(II)-Organoimine System: Structural Influences of Secondary Metal Coordination Preferences and Diphosphonate Tether Lengths,” N.G. Armatas, D.G. Allis, A. Prosvirin, G. Caruntu, C.J. O’Connor, K. Dunbar, and J. Zubieta, Inorg. Chem., 47(3), 2008, 832-54. "Wet Chemistry Processing Routes of Ultrafine Magnetic Particles," D. Caruntu, G. Caruntu, and C.J. O’Connor, in “Recent Advances in the Solution-Based Synthesis of Nanoscale Metal, Semiconductor and Oxide Nanoparticles,” Research Sign Post, Kerala, India (2008). "Liquid Phase Synthesis of Inorganic Nanoparticles," G. Caruntu, D. Caruntu, and C.J. O’Connor, in “Nanomaterials: Inorganic and Bioinorganic Perspectives,” John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (2008). "Transition Metal Ferrite Nanocrystals: Synthesis and Applications," D. Caruntu, G. Caruntu, D. Ganju, and C.J. O’Connor, in “Metal Oxide Nanostructures and Their Applications,” American Scientific Publishers (2008). "Nanostructures and Colloidal Self-Assemblies," G. Caruntu, D. Caruntu, and C.J. O’Connor, in “Scanning Electron Microscopy in Nanotechnology: Principles and Applications,” Springer, New York (2007). "Magnetic Properties of Variable-Sized Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Synthesized from Non-Aqueous Homogeneous Solutions of Polyols,” D. Caruntu, G. Caruntu and C.J. O’Connor, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 40, 2007, 5801–5809. "Synthesis of Porous Magnetic Hollow Silica Nanospheres for Nanomedicine Application,” J. Zhou, W. Wu, D. Caruntu, M.H. Yu, A. Martin, J.F. Chen, C.J. O'Connor, and W.L. Zhou, J. Phys. Chem. C, 111(35), 2007, 13028-13032. |
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