Elena Bekyarova
Current Research: Carbon Nanotube Sensors

Office Address: 104 Pierce Hall Annex

Office Phone: (951) 827-2450

Degrees:

• M.S. Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Sofia, Bulgaria
• Ph.D. Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria

Research Interests:

The focus of her research is development of advanced chemical sensors based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) networks. The electronic behavior of films of as-prepared and purified SWNT networks is a function of the film thickness and has important implications in tuning the sensitivity of SWNT-based sensors. The chemistry of SWNTs provides tremendous opportunities to tailor the sensitivity and selectivity of SWNTs in detecting low concentration of gas molecules with high accuracy. She studies the role that the chemical functionalization plays in modifying the electronic properties of SWNT networks, which throws further light on the mechanism of action of SWNT-based sensors.