Nanomaterials, such as nano-sized inorganic and organic semiconductors, are becoming the focus of scientific research. Examples of nanomaterial applications abound, ranging from light-emitting diodes, to photoenergy conversion, to room-temperature magnetism, and to biological optical probes. These materials have unique electronic structures that cannot be simply defined as conventional continuum (as in a periodic system), nor discrete quantum levels (as in a molecule). In addition, complicated processes that occur at the surfaces and interfaces of these nanomaterials upon photoexcitation poses high demands on the experimental techniques used to characterize nanoscale systems. Theory and computational modeling could provide useful interpretations of experimental data and a better understanding of the material’s properties at the atomistic level, while development of validated theoretical predictions could guide new experimental efforts.

The symposium aims to bring together theoreticians and experimentalists for a timely discussion of modern developments, applications, and challenges in nanomaterial research from both theoretical and experimental perspectives.