Facility Director, Imaging and Manipulation of Nanostructures
pdashby@lbl.gov
510.486.7081
Biography
Paul Ashby received his PhD in physical chemistry in 2003 from Harvard University studying intermolecular energy landscapes. He joined the Molecular Foundry as a jump start postdoc in the Imaging Facility and in 2007 he became a staff scientist.
Research Interests
My research group aims to design materials whose nanoscale structure improves their functional properties. We use imaging techniques to spatially resolve physical and chemical properties and rely heavily on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) because it nondestructively probes the surface of materials in-situ. To more accurately measure function, we have invented technologies to improve AFM’s temporal resolution and sensitivity in liquid. Presently, we have projects investigating photovoltaics, biomimetic mechanical materials, and reconfigurable films at liquid-liquid interfaces.
