Call for Papers

Please contact the symposium organizers with questions.

This symposium will bring together leading experts in atom-precise nanocluster science and engineering. Atomic precision represents the ultimate control over the structure and properties of matter. Advances in synthetic chemistry now enable synthesis of a wide variety of nanoclusters with atom-precise structures and exciting emergent properties, from photoluminescence to enhanced catalytic activity. Emerging research is showing that nanoclusters can serve as synthetic seeds for synthesizing larger nanomaterials and can be assembled into hierarchically-ordered nanocluster superlattices. To fully realize the promise of atom-precise materials systems composed of nanocluster “building blocks,” and thereby pave the way for applications in energy, photonics, sensing, and biomedicine, it is critical to bring together complementary expertise in nanocluster synthesis and characterization, computational modeling, materials integration, and emerging applications.

This symposium focuses on the latest advances in atom-precise metal, semiconductor, and carbon nanoclusters and on efforts to harness nanoclusters for higher-order materials and applications. Abstracts are welcomed in the following areas: advanced synthesis methods for atomically precise nanoclusters that increase the level of control over materials structure; computational methods to simulate nanocluster electronic structure, self-assembly, and emergent properties of nanocluster arrays; advanced structural characterization of nanocluster materials including X-ray diffraction and electron or scanning probe microscopies; ultrafast spectroscopy for characterization of ground-state and excited-state properties of atom-precise nanomaterials; applications of nanocluster materials, such as clean energy technologies, biomedical imaging, and sensing. By bringing together synergistic expertise, this symposium aims to catalyze new collaborations and research innovations that will advance the state-of-the-art in nanocluster-based materials.

Topics will include:

• Synthetic control of atomically precise nanoclusters
• Advanced structure determination for nanoclusters
• Advanced computational modeling of nanoclusters
• Ultrafast spectroscopic characterization
• Assembly of hierarchical materials from atom-precise building blocks
• Near-field effects in nanocluster arrays
• Catalytic activity and applications in heterogeneous catalysis
• Photonics applications of nanoclusters
• Biomedical applications of nanoclusters

• A tutorial complementing this symposium is tentatively planned.

Invited Speakers:

• Christopher Ackerson (Colorado State University, USA)
• Sara Bals (University of Antwerp, USA)
• Quiang Cui (Boston University, USA)
• Nicola Gaston (The University of Auckland, New Zealand)
• Rebecca Gieseking (Brandeis University, USA)
• Robert Green (Alabama State University, USA)
• Kenneth Knappenberger (The Pennsylvania State University, USA)
• Jarad Mason (Harvard University, USA)
• Sara Mason (Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA)
• Maria Matus (University of Jyväskylä, Finland)
• Richard Robinson (Cornell University, USA)
• Xavier Roy (Columbia University, USA)
• Kevin Stamplecoskie (Queen's University, Canada)
• Dmitri Talapin (The University of Chicago, USA)
• Tom Vosch (Copenhagen University, Denmark)
• Tao Wei (University of South Carolina, USA)
• Bryan Wong (University of California, Riverside, USA)
• Jianping Xie (National University of Singapore, Singapore)
• Chenjie Zeng (University of Florida, USA)

Symposium Organizers