Francesco Stellacci

Finmeccanica Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering

Doctorate, Materials Science and Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 1998

Room 13-4053, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA  02139
617-452-3704 (phone)
frstella@mit.edu
Professor Stellacci's research group

Professor Stellacci's research interests are in nano-science and nano-technology, specifically in the investigation of the structure-property relationships that exist between nanostructured molecular assemblies and their surface properties.

His research focuses on the generation of new understanding on the assembly of molecules in spatially defined arrangements and their interactions with organic and bio molecules and with inorganic surfaces. The goal is to apply this knowledge toward the development and the efficient fabrication of original nano-size molecular-based materials and devices for a wealth of applications. In order to build such devices, Stellacci’s group is developing new materials (organic ligand coated nanoparticles and nanotubes), and new soft-materials fabrication techniques (based on molecular recognition and self-assembly). A specific example is the discovery of novel materials whose outside shell spontaneously assembles in ways that resemble the structuring of domains on viruses’ capsids. Another example is the development of a nature-inspired stamping technique able to transfer DNA patterns from a surface onto another. This method has been tailored for the efficient production of inexpensive DNA micro- and nano-arrays. A special emphasis in the group is placed on the understanding of the nanoscale limitation of present thermodynamic modeling of surface interactions.

Selected Publications

“Spontaneous assembly of sub-nanometre ordered domains in the ligand shell of monolayer protected nanoparticles”, Jackson, A. M.; Myerson, J. W.; Stellacci, F. Nature Materials, 3, 330-336, 2004.

“Supramolecular Nano-stamping: using DNA as movable type”, Yu, A. A.; Savas, T. A.; Taylor G. S.; Guiseppe-Elie A.; Smith H. I.; Stellacci F., Nano Letters, 5, 1061-1066, 2005.

“From Homo-Ligand to Mixed-Ligand Monolayer Protected Metal Nanoparticles: a Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Investigation”, Jackson, A. M.; Hu, Y.; Silva, P.; Stellacci F., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 128, 11135-11149, 2006.

“Divalent Metal Nanoparticles”, DeVries, G. A.; Brunnbauer, M.; Hu, Y.; Jackson, A. M.; Long, B.; Neltner, B.; Uzun, O.; Wunsch, B. H.; Stellacci, F., Science, 315, 358-361, 2007.

“Application of Supramolecular Nanostamping to the Replication of DNA Nanoarrays”; Akbulut, O.; Jung, J.-M.; Bennett, R. D.; Hu, Y.; Jung, H.-T.; Cohen, R. E.; Mayes, A. M.; Stellacci, F., Nano Letters, 7, 3493-3498, 2007.

Prof. Stellacci was named one of the 2005 TR35 (the 35 innovators under age 35 who will change the way our world works). For a full list of the TR35, see Technology Review. The MIT-affiliated honorees are profiled in Tech Talk.

Prof. Stellacci's research in nanoprinting has been reported by the MIT News Office. See Technology Insider for a description of Professor Stellacci's work in using nanolithography to develop nanoparticles with secified electronic and optical properties.