DAVID L. PATRICK
Professor, Analytical & Materials Chemistry

Director, Advanced Mat. Sci. & Engineering Ctr.
 

Department of Chemistry Western Washington University Bellingham, WA 98225-9150 Office: CB441 Lab: CB420B Tel: (360) 650-3128 Fax: (360) 650-2826 patrick@chem.wwu.edu

Course Materials Patrick Group Site Publications Biosketch (PDF) AMSEC

Selected Awards and Honors
WWU Olscamp Research Award (2005)
Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2001)
U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2000)
National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2000)
Dreyfus Foundation New Faculty Start-up Grant (1996)
University of Utah Cheves T. Walling Graduate Research Award (1995)
American Vacuum Society Graduate Student Award (1994)
Union Carbide Corp. Kenan Analytical Chemistry Award (1993)

Research Interests
All material objects are made from atoms and molecules.  If it were possible to precisely manipulate matter at the size scale of atoms, that is, at the size scale of about one nanometer, then one could, in principle, make virtually anything.  Our research is aimed at developing ways to do just that.  We are inventing and testing the tools which will be used by a future generation of nanoengineers to assemble molecules and particles into functional materials and devices.  The research can be compared to the way a child assembles wooden blocks to make a house, only the building blocks we play with are much, much smaller.  To be a little more specific, our research uses liquid crystals – the fluids found in LCDs – to manipulate the arrangement of molecules and small particles deposited as thin films on solid surfaces.  Applications range from control over chirality in monolayer molecular films to nanoscale wiring with carbon nanotubes and the preparation of highly ordered organic semiconductor films.  Research students develop expertise with a number of techniques including scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and a variety of spectroscopic methods.

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