Electrodeposition gives us a tool to make structures at the nanometer to millimeter scale. Many times these structures are unobtainable using any other means. The factors controlling growth include concentration, adsorbates, electrode potential and nearly 20 different experimentally controllable variables; it is not surprising that much of the literature is ambiguous, conflicting and often difficult to interpret.

To overcome the variability associated with manual syntheses, a completely automated system for combinatorial electrodeposition is being developed to create nano and microstructures in my lab. This work will continue as a joint project between Argonne and UWSP.

Bio Sketch
Mike has combined a background of being a jeweler and sculptor with being a researcher for great results. He took just under 14 years to graduate with a Baccalaureate in chemistry from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. During that 14 years he also attended a technical college for a Jewelry Repair and Design program, apprenticed with a monk as a jeweler/sculptor in Florence, Italy, and even opened a retail store M.P.Zach Custom Designed Jewelry in Monroe, WI. Mike received his Masters and PhD degrees from University of California, Irvine in the laboratory of Dr. Reginald Penner. The combination of talents as a jeweler and a chemist proved to be very valuable by allowing him to design new tools such as electrochemical cells, fixtures for holding electrodes and analytical devices for measuring nanowires. Major discoveries included ways to make nanoparticles more uniform and making nanowires by electrodeposition and chemical vapor deposition. During this time he received numerous awards for teaching, research, instrumentation design and outreach.

Mike served two years as a Postdoctoral researcher at Berkeley with a prestigious Miller Postdoctoral Fellowship in Dr. Jill Banfield's Lab studying the interactions of microbes and minerals and attempting to use biological materials to pattern inorganic components. His current position is the Glenn Seaborg Postdoctoral Fellow is at Argonne National Laboratory in the Laboratory for Superconductivity and Magnetism. He has just accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point for the fall of 2006.

Electron Microscope Images of Self-Assembled Electrodeposited Materials – A) Hemispherical, snowball like particles made from 2nm nickel nanoparticles, B) Silver icosohedron particle, C) Molydenum dioxide nanowires, D) High surface area, branched lead deposits (notice orientation between each branch within a single brush).