The Zhang research group is primarily interested in the design, development, characterization, and application of advanced materials with emphasis on optical and electronic nanomaterials (nanocrystals or quantum dots, magic sized clusters, and quantum dot solids) of both semiconductors and metals. These nanomaterials have novel physical and chemical properties due to quantum confinement and exceedingly large surface to volume ratio. The design and synthesis of the materials are mostly based on inorganic colloidal chemistry methods. The synthesized materials are characterized systematically and extensively using a variety of experimental techniques including SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering), optical spectroscopy, ultrafast laser, x-ray (XAFS, XPS), ESR, electrochemical, and microscopy. In the meantime, the group actively explores emerging technological applications of these advanced nanomaterials in areas such as solar energy conversion, hydrogen generation via water splitting, cancer biomarker detection, photoelectrochemistry, sensors, and LEDs.