The Jones Lab

The goal of The Jones Lab at Rice University  is to develop a paradigm for precision nanosynthesis that more closely mimics traditional chemical approaches by emphasizing a need for fundamental mechanistic understanding that facilitates the rational design of future nanomaterials. This objective is pursued through diverse project areas that range from the development of new in-situ characterization methods to understanding how crystal growth occurs at the ~1 nm length scale to controlling symmetry breaking in nanoparticle self-assembly. The insights gained from this work have allowed for the formation of new catalysts with strained interfaces and planar metamaterials with chiroptical properties, among others. Current efforts continue to pursue mechanistic understanding of nanoscale processes with the ultimate aim of developing materials with novel properties that will have impact in medicine, optics, quantum information, and energy harvesting.