Giovanni Fanchini, Professor

Research interests: Our research interests have a common denominator in the investigation of light-matter interaction at the nanoscale (i.e., at a scale significantly smaller than a wavelength for light in the visible and near-infrared photon energy range). Our research team develops, and makes use of, advanced instrumentation [e.g., scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) based on atomic-force microscopy (AFM) and/or scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM)] to investigate light-matter interaction in a host of materials of practical interest, including: organic photoactive polymers and molecules for solar cells and carbon-based nanomaterials and 2D materials for sensing and thermal management (e.g., graphene and graphene oxide). We are also equipped with facilities for the growth of these materials (sputtering, plasma reactors, chemical vapor deposition, and solution processing) as well as their incorporation into opto-electronic devices (solar cell fabrication and testing facility, and variable-temperature electrical conductivity measurement system down to 15K). Specific devices we are interested in include: photovoltaics ("solar cells"), resistive memory devices ("memristors"), resistive water-impurity sensors ("chemiresistors") and thermal-management devices ("heat spreaders"). We are also running the only open-user electron-spin resonance / electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR/EPR) facility in London, specialized in (but not limited to) the investigation of photoactive paramagnetic centres in solar-cell materials.

1. Stocek, N.B., Young, M.J., Bauld, R., Ouyang, T., Fanchini, G. (2023) "Cross-sectional profile of photocarrier mobility in thin film solar cell via nongeminate recombination and charge extraction by linearly increasing voltage (cs-p-CELIV)" arXiv:2302.05546 [physics.app-ph] DOI:10.48550/arXiv.2302.05546
2. Wong, V., Yeung, E., Cole-André, M., Fanchini, G. (2022) “Phase modulated scanning near field optical luminescence imaging as a probe of exciton dark lifetime and diffusivity in persistently luminescent micro- and nanocrystals” Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 10 (36), pp. 12975-12985. DOI:10.1039/d2tc02645g
3. Singh, D., Park, J., Magnan, F., Bazylewski, P., Gilroy, J.B., Fanchini, G. “All-in-One Step from a Radical Monomer: Vacuum Synthesis of Electroswitchable Radical Polymer Thin Films by Solvent-Free Surface Polymerization” (2022) Chemistry of Materials, 34 (11), pp. 4876-4883. DOI:10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c04366
4. Bazylewski, P, S Van Middelkoop, S, Divigalpitiya, R, Fanchini, G (2019) "Solid-State Chemiresistors from Two-Dimensional MoS2 Nanosheets Functionalized with l-Cysteine for In-Line Sensing of Part-Per-Billion Cd2+ Ions in Drinking Water", ACS Omega, 5(1), 643–649 DOI:10.1021/acsomega.9b03246
5. Bazylewski, P., Ezugwu, S., Fanchini, G. (2017) "A review of three-dimensional scanning near-field optical microscopy (3D-SNOM) and its applications in nanoscale light management" Appl. Sci. 2017, 7(10), 973; DOI:10.3390/app7100973

[Complete Publication Listing (Scopus)]

[Complete Publication Listing (Google Scholar)]

• Canada Research Chair in Carbon-based nanomaterials and Nano-optoelectronics (2009-2019)
• Petro Canada Young Investigator Award (2013)
• Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation - Early Researcher Award (2010)
• Canada Research Chair in Carbon-based Nanomaterials and Nano-optoelectronics (2009)
• Victoria Solar Energy Fellowship (2009)

• NSERC RTI Panel Chair (2019-2020)
• CIHR College of Reviewers (2018-present)
• Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) Division of Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (DCMMP) Chair (2017)
• Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) Lecturer (2011)
• Associate Editor - Dataset Papers in Physics