Dr. James Hone

The Hone group creates and studies nano-materials and nano-structures for a wide range of applications and areas of basic science. We work extensively with atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as graphene, with interest in synthesis, mechanical properties, and electronics. In particular, we have developed techniques to ‘stack’ 2D materials into novel ‘van der Waals heterostructures’. We use these techniques to study 2D materials in the clean limit and to achieve new properties and functionality. We also use 2D materials for opto-electronic applications, novel nano-electromechanical devices, and flexible electronics. We also have a significant effort in nano-biology, where we create tools to measure forces exerted by single cells and seek to understand how cells use these forces to test the mechanical properties of substrates.