SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY (SPM) RESEARCH GROUP

Alumni:

2017

• Nasima Afsharimani (Postdoctoral Associate) - FunGlass (Centre for Functional and Surface-Functionalized Glass)
• Tarek Abdelwahab (MS student) - Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
• Alper Özoğul (MS student) - Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
• Berkin Uluutku (MS student) - George Washington University
• Verda Saygın (BS student) - Boston University
• Zeynep M. Süar (BS student) - Stevens Institute of Technology

2016

• Arda Balkancı (MS student) - McGill University

2015

• Ebru Cihan (MS student) - KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
• Tuna Demirbaş (MS student) - ASELSAN

2014

• Pınar Karayaylalı (BS student) - MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Collaborators:

• Engin Durgun - Bilkent University
• Urartu Seker - Bilkent University
• Sefik Suzer - Bilkent University
• Hande Toffoli - METU
• Ashlie Martini - UC Merced

News

2017

• Prof. Baykara has moved to University of California, Merced!

• Prof. Baykara was at the Department of Physics, Harvard University as a Visiting Scholar in Fall 2017.

• Our paper titled "Self-Assembled Molecular Films of Alkanethiols on Graphene for Heavy Metal Sensing" has been published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

• Our paper titled "Structural Superlubricity of Platinum on Graphite under Ambient Conditions: The Effects of Chemistry and Geometry" has been published in Applied Physics Letters.

• A book chapter titled "Low-Temperature Scanning Probe Microscopy" co-authored by Prof. Baykara has been published by Springer.

• Nasima Afsharimani has successfully completed her postdoctoral appointment in our group. She will now join FunGlass (Centre for Functional and Surface-Functionalized Glass) in Slovakia. Congratulations, Nasima!

• Our paper titled "Effect of Roughness on the Layer-Dependent Friction of Few-Layer Graphene" has been published in Physical Review B.

• Berkin Uluutku has successfully defended his M.S. thesis. He will join the group of Santiago Solares at George Washington University as a Ph.D. student. Congratulations, Berkin!

• Prof. Baykara gave an invited talk at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) in Mainz, Germany on June 22, 2017.

• Prof. Baykara gave an invited talk at Kobe University - Department of Chemistry on June 9, 2017.

• Zeynep M. Süar and Verda Saygın have just finished their undergraduate research projects in our group. Zeynep will now join Stevens Institute of Technology (PI: Mehmet Kurt) while Verda will join Boston University (PI: Keith Brown) as Ph.D. students. Congratulations, girls!

• Tarek Abdelwahab has successfully defended his M.S. thesis. He will join the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany as a Ph.D. student. Good job, Tarek!

• Alper Özoğul has successfully defended his M.S. thesis. He will join the group of Enrico Gnecco at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena as a Ph.D. student. Congratulations, Alper!

• Our paper titled "Genetically-Tunable Mechanical Properties of Bacterial Functional Amyloid Nanofibers" has been published in Langmuir.

• Prof. Baykara has been announced as one of the top five finalists for the 2017 Gerhard Ertl Young Investigator Award and gave an invited talk as part of a special session at the 2017 Spring Meeting of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft on Mar. 23, 2017.

 

2016

• Prof. Baykara has been named one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) of the World" by Junior Chamber International (JCI).

• Prof. Baykara delivered an invited talk at the 3rd Emerging Graphene & 2D Materials Conference in Istanbul, Turkey on October 20, 2016.

• Prof. Baykara delivered an invited talk at the ICTP-ECAR Workshop titled "Physical, Biological and Chemical Foundations of Bioelectronics, Biophotonics and Biosensors" in Izmir, Turkey on July 29, 2016.

• Our paper titled "Structural Lubricity under Ambient Conditions" has been published in Nature Communications.

 

• We have successfully organized the "2016 Graphene & Related Materials Conference (GRM-2016)" at Bilkent University during July 13-15, 2016.

 

• Arda Balkancı has successfully defended his M.S. thesis. He will join the Department of Materials Engineering at McGill University as a Ph.D. student. Congratulations, Arda!

• SPM Group has participated in the "12th Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Conference (NanoTR-12)" held in Gebze during June 3-5, 2016.

• The next installment in the thematic series titled "Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy" co-edited by Prof. Baykara has been published in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology.

• Prof. Baykara delivered an invited talk at the 2016 EMN Spring Meeting in Taipei, Taiwan on Mar. 8, 2016.

• Our paper titled "Three-Dimensional Interaction Force and Tunneling Current Spectroscopy of Point Defects on Rutile TiO2(110)" has been published in Applied Physics Letters.

• Our paper titled "Nanoscale Tribology of Graphene Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition and Transferred onto Silicon Oxide Substrates" has been published in the Journal of Materials Research.

• Nasima Afsharimani (Institut de Physique et de Chimie des Materiaux de Strasbourg) has joined the SPM group as a post-doctoral associate. Welcome, Nasima!

• TUBITAK announced the approval of our joint 1001 Grant Proposal with Prof. Hande Toffoli (METU Physics Department) on the nanotribological properties of the gold-graphene interface.

2015

• Prof. Baykara has been named one of the "Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP)" in Turkey by Junior Chamber International (JCI).

• Tuna Demirbaş has successfully defended her M.S. thesis. She will join ASELSAN as a mechanical design engineer. Congratulations, Tuna!

• Prof. Baykara delivered an invited talk at the 6th European Nanomanipulation Workshop in Giessen, Germany on Sep. 23, 2015.

• Our review titled "Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy: An Emerging Tool for Fundamental Catalysis Research" has been published in Accounts of Chemical Research.

• Ebru Cihan has successfully defended her M.S. thesis. She will join the group of Martin Dienwiebel at KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) as a Ph.D. student. Congratulations, Ebru!

• SPM Group has participated in the "International Conference on Understanding and Controlling Nano and Mesoscale Friction" held in Istanbul during June 22-26, 2015.

• Verda Saygın has joined the SPM Group by winning the TUBITAK 2209/A undergraduate research project award. She will be working on self-assembled monolayers on graphene. Congratulations, Verda!

• Prof. Baykara delivered an invited talk at Koç University - College of Engineering on May 6, 2015.

• A book chapter titled "3D Force Field Spectroscopy" co-authored by Prof. Baykara has been published by Springer.

• Our paper titled "Structure and Nanotribology of Thermally Deposited Gold Nanoparticles on Graphite" has been published in Applied Surface Science.

• Prof. Baykara received the 2015 Science Academy Association Distinguished Young Scientist Award (BAGEP).

• Our paper titled "Artifacts related to tip asymmetry in high-resolution atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy measurements of graphitic surfaces" has been published in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B.

• Our paper titled "Simultaneous Measurement of Multiple Independent Atomic-Scale Interactions Using Scanning Probe Microscopy: Data Interpretation and the Effect of Cross-Talk" has been published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C.

• A book chapter titled "Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy for Atomic-Scale Characterization of Material Surfaces" authored by Prof. Baykara has been published by Springer.

• SPM group member Zeynep M. Süar has won the TUBITAK 2209/A undergraduate research project award. Congratulations, Zeynep!

• TUBITAK announced the approval of our 3501 Career Development Program proposal on self-assembled monolayers on graphene.

2014

• Our first AFM has arrived in the lab!

• Prof. Baykara delivered the departmental seminar at METU Chemistry on Dec. 12, 2014.

• Prof. Baykara has been elected to the executive committee of the Nanometer-Scale Science and Technology Division of AVS (AVS-NSTD).

• Prof. Baykara delivered the departmental seminar at Boston University Mechanical Engineering on Nov. 14, 2014.

• Prof. Baykara delivered a talk at the 61st International AVS Symposium in Baltimore, USA on Nov. 13, 2014.

• Our paper titled "Tribological Interaction between Polytetrafluoroethylene and Silicon Oxide Surfaces" has been published in the Journal of Chemical Physics.

• Tarek Abdelwahab has joined the SPM Research Group. He'll be working on AFM imaging and spectroscopy of biological materials. Welcome, Tarek!

• Zeynep M. Süar (BilMech Sophomore) has joined the SPM Research Group. She'll be working on developing an AFM for biological research. Welcome, Zeynep!

• Prof. Baykara received the 2014 FABED Eser Tümen Outstanding Young Scientist Award.

• Prof. Baykara received the 2014 Outstanding Young Scientist Award of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA-GEBİP).

• The first alumna of our research group -Pınar Karayaylalı- has been admitted to the graduate program at MIT Mechanical Engineering. Congratulations, Pınar!

• A thematic series titled "Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy II" co-edited by Prof. Baykara has been published in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology.

• Our paper titled "Analysis of Amplitude Modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Aqueous Salt Solutions" has been published in Applied Surface Science.

2013

• Prof. Baykara received the 2013 METU Prof. Dr. Mustafa Parlar Foundation Research Incentive Award.

• Prof. Baykara delivered a talk at the 60th International AVS Symposium in Long Beach, USA on Oct. 28, 2013.

• Our paper titled "Understanding Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Contrast Mechanisms on Metal Oxides: A Case Study" has been published in ACS Nano.

• Arda Balkancı (BilMech '13), Ebru Cihan (Anadolu University, MSE '13) and Tuna Demirbaş (BilMech '13) joined the SPM Research Group. Welcome everyone!

• Prof. Baykara has presented a poster at the NC-AFM 2013 Conference in Maryland, USA on Aug. 7, 2013.

• Our paper titled "Nonuniform Friction-Area Dependency for Antimony Oxide Surfaces Sliding on Graphite" has been published in Physical Review B.

• Baykara Group members Alper Özoğul and Berkin Uluutku have won TUBITAK 2209/A undergraduate research project awards.

• Our paper titled "Effect of Lateral Tip Stiffness on Atomic-Resolution Force Field Spectroscopy" has been published in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B.

• Our paper titled "Atom-Specific Forces and Defect Identification on Surface-Oxidized Cu(100) with Combined 3D-AFM and STM Measurements" has been published in Physical Review B and highlighted as Editor's Suggestion.

• Prof. Baykara has given a talk at the 2013 March Meeting of the APS on Mar. 21, 2013.

• Our Group has been awarded a Career Integration Grant (CIG) by the Marie Curie Actions of the European Commission for nanotribology research.

2012

• An editorial co-authored by Prof. Baykara for the thematic series titled "Advanced Atomic Force Microscopy Techniques" has been published in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology.

• Prof. Baykara has presented a poster at the 2012 Fall Meeting of the MRS on Nov. 28, 2012.

• Prof. Baykara delivered an invited talk at Boğaziçi University - Department of Physics on Nov. 21, 2012.

• Prof. Baykara delivered an invited talk at ITU - Department of Physics on Nov. 16, 2012.

• Prof. Baykara delivered an invited talk at METU - Department of Mechanical Engineering on Sep. 28, 2012

• Our paper titled "Exploring Atomic-Scale Lateral Forces in the Attractive Regime: A Case Study on Graphite (0001)" has been published in Nanotechnology.

• Our paper titled "Probing three-dimensional surface force fields with atomic resolution: Measurement strategies, limitations, and artifact reduction" has been published in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology.

• Pınar Karayaylalı (junior @ BilMech), Alper Özoğul (sophomore @ BilMech), and Berkin Uluutku (sophomore @ BilMech) joined the SPM Research Group. Welcome, guys!

• Prof. Baykara joined Bilkent University as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering on Sep. 01, 2012.

 

Funding: