MYJOHNSHOPKINS.EDU
Tyrel McQueen
Solid State and Inorganic Chemistry / Condensed
Matter Physics
PhD - Princeton University
Postdoctoral Fellow - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Materials are a driving force underlying virtually all technological innovations in history – from the development of bronze and steel to the ultrapure silicon and metals at the heart of electronic devices today. Much progress has been made in the last fifty years in the understanding of the relationships between the structures and properties of solids, and this has aided in the search for functional materials with specific properties. However, even most recent innovations have come through the unintended discovery of a new class of complex compounds displaying particularly favorable properties (rather than by design), highlighting that much is still not understood. As such, the goals of my research are: (i) discover novel materials with favorable characteristics, (ii) elucidate the structure-property relationships in these new compounds, and (iii) push our understanding of how to design materials with specific functions.
One area of particular interest is how to design materials that can be used for the effective separation of charge. Charge separation underlies many useful material properties, including photovoltaics (photon induced charge separation, required for cheap solar power) and thermoelectrics (temperature induced charge separation, useful in many cooling applications). New compounds are made with a wide range of synthesis strategies ranging from inorganic wet chemical methods to high temperature “shake-and-bake” chemistry. Crystal growth is an integral part of this research, as crystals allow for more
straightforward structural solutions and a better understanding of physical properties from direction-dependent measurements. Structural characterization methods include x-ray and neutron diffraction. Property characterization methods include measurements of temperature-dependent magnetization, resistivity, heat capacity, and thermopower, as well as the response to visible and ultraviolet light.