Oleg Gang

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Center for Functional Nanomaterials
Bldg. 735, Room 1L16
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-3645
ogang@bnl.gov

Expertise | Research | Education | Appointments | Publications | Awards

Expertise

• Soft matter on nanoscales and at the interfaces
• Programmable assembly of nanoscale systems
• Structure of macromolecules and polymers
• Optical and biomedical applications of nanomaterials
• Synchrotron-based X-ray methods for probing soft and hybrid materials and interfaces 

Research Activities

Approaches based on self-assembly offer tremendous advantages in nano-material fabrication and address tasks that are intrinsically difficult for conventional fabrication methods. However, one of the major challenges for self-assembly is an ability to arrange components of different types into rationally designed architectures, which is key to enabling many functions of nano-systems. Thus, it is a focal point of our efforts. Our research is focused on assembly of clusters and extended arrays (2D and 3D) from nanoscale components of multiple types driven by DNA recognition, chain effects and geometrical factors. Our work explores how bioencoding of nanoparticle can guide the formation of well-defined structures, how the morphology of those self-organized structures can be dynamically regulated, and what factors govern system’s phase behavior. Based on the expertise in assembly we also investigate optical and mechanical effects in systems containing precisely arranged nanoscale components; that allows rationalizing all aspects of nanomaterial fabrication.

Education

• MS in Physics: Bar-Ilan University, Israel
  • Thesis Title: Structure of inner-shell electron levels in transition metals
• PhD in Physics: Bar-Ilan University, Israel
  • Dissertation Title: Surface Ordering in Chain Molecules
• Postdoctoral Research: Harvard University (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences)
  • Project: Liquids on nanostructured surfaces

Professional Appointments

2016-present   Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University

2016-present   Professor, Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University

2008-present   Leader for Soft Matter and Biomaterials Theme, Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Selected Publications

• Michelson A, Minevich B, Emamy H, et al (2022) Three-dimensional visualization of nanoparticle lattices and multimaterial frameworks. Science 376:203–207. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abk0463
• Mao R, Minevich B, McKeen D, et al (2023) Regulating phase behavior of nanoparticle assemblies through engineering of DNA-mediated isotropic interactions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120:. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2302037120
• Majewski PW, Michelson A, Cordeiro MAL, et al (2021) Resilient three-dimensional ordered architectures assembled from nanoparticles by DNA. Science Advances 7:. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf0617
• Tian Y, Lhermitte JR, Bai L, et al (2020) Ordered three-dimensional nanomaterials using DNA-prescribed and valence-controlled material voxels. Nature Materials 19:789–796. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-019-0550-x
• Liu W, Tagawa M, Xin HL, et al (2016) Diamond family of nanoparticle superlattices. Science 351:582–586. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad2080

Awards & Recognition

2016          Inventor of the Year, Battelle Award

2016          Work included in the top 10 Scientific Advances of 2016 at Brookhaven National Laboratory

2014          Fellow, American Physical Society

2011          Science and Technology Award for Outstanding Achievements, Brookhaven National Laboratory

2010          Gordon Battelle Prize for Scientific Discovery