Research Overview

The goal of our research is to understand design principles of nanoporous media for highly selective and efficient chemical sensing. We strive to establish novel methods for self-organized fabrication of nanostructured materials of controlled morphologies and chemical properties, and to understand the separation/sensing mechanisms within such nanostructured materials at the molecular level. Fundamental knowledge gained in our research will permit us to develop nanoporous materials for highly-efficient detection, removal, and recovery of chemical species relevant to environmental and energy sciences. These materials will facilitate the sustainable development of our society through improvement of water quality, energy utilization, and critical material recycling.

Selected publications

T. Ito, S. G. Jenkins, S. Seifert, A. Uysal “Electrochemistry-Induced Direct Deposition of Nanoscale Thin Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 Films on Insulator Substrates”, Cryst. Growth Des. 2023, 23, 6369-6377.

T. Ito “Single-Molecule Fluorescence Investigations of Solute Transport Dynamics in Nanostructured Membrane Separation Materials” (Invited Perspective), J. Phys. Chem. B 2023, 127, 5733-5741 .

T. Ito, S. Seifert, K. N. Moeller, A. Uysal “In Situ Synchrotron X-Ray Scattering Investigation of Cathodic ZIF-8 Deposition on Graphite Using 3D-Printed Cells”, Anal. Chem. 2023, 95, 8206–8213.

H. Coceancigh, L. Xue, S. Nagasaka, D. A. Higgins, T. Ito “Solvent-Induced Swelling Behaviors of Microphase-Separated Polystyrene-block-Poly(ethylene oxide) Thin Films Investigated Using In Situ Spectroscopic Ellipsometry and Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2022, 126, 8338–8349.

T. Ito, A. Nathani “Electrochemical Sensing at Nanoporous Film-Coated Electrodes” (Review), Electrochem. Sci. Adv. 2022, 2, e2100126.