Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Erin Iski recently had a paper published in the academic journal Surface Science regarding research conducted by a team of University of Tulsa students from her lab. The title of the paper is “In air STM observation of Au(111) surface disturbance including Au magic fingers as modified by solvent choice.”
Nanowires were the focus of this research by Iski along with the first author of the paper, Dillon Dodge (B.S. ’24), and doctoral student Nazila Hamidi. To increase the utility and reproducible production of nanostructures, such as nanowires, it is imperative that they are studied in realistic environments, like in air and at room temperature. One of the most well-studied metallic nanowire materials is gold, which can be used to form “gold magic fingers.”
In Iski’s surface chemistry lab, the team has discovered a method to grow these gold nanowires in air using a specialized microscope called a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Using the STM in combination with absorbed molecules on the gold surface, they found that the “gold magic fingers” can be grown by the STM tip as it scans across the surface and physically moves gold atoms, showing that the formation of nanostructures can be strategically controlled.
Hamidi became involved with Iski’s research in January 2024 and has since taken on a more independent role in the lab in UTulsa’s College of Health & Natural Sciences.
“I dedicated significant time in the lab to conducting critical calculations, analyses, and experiments,” she said. “I have learned that diligence and resilience are often rewarded, and I was overjoyed to receive the acceptance email for our paper in the prestigious Surface Science journal. I owe immense gratitude to Dr. Iski for her continuous support throughout this journey. I believe this work will have a large impact on the scientific community in an effort to move fundamental discoveries into more practical applications.”