Truong Vo-Van, PhD

Education

PhD Physics (University of Toronto)
MSc Physics (Université de Moncton)
BScA Engineering Physics (École Polytechnique de Montréal)

Biography

Truong Vo-Van began in 1976 his career as a faculty member at Université de Moncton, becoming a full professor in 1986. At this institution, he has worked in various positions as a university administrator (Vice-Dean of Science,Vice-Dean of Graduate Studies, Dean of Graduate Studies, Associate Vice-President for Research, Vice-President - Academic and Research). In 2003,Vo-Van was named Vice-Provost, Research/Vice-recteur à la recherche at Concordia University where he also held a professorship in Physics. He subsequently completed two terms as Chair of the department of Physics before returning to teaching and research. He is now Professor Emeritus of Physics at Concordia.

Vo-Van has contributed principally in the study of optical properties of thin films and inhomogeneous media, the design and characterization of advanced materials, the applications of thin films (smart windows, electrochromic devices, optical filters) and the design and prototyping of advanced optical metrology instruments. In 1984, he founded the Thin Film Research Group at Université de Moncton, a group that is well-recognized internationally. About 40 graduate students have completed their studies under Vo-Van's supervision and his research has led to the creation of two spin-off companies. Presently, he is conducting research on nanostructured materials and devices, with an emphasis on sensing and photonics applications.

Nationally, Vo-Van has served as Chair of two Divisions (Division of Optics and Photonics and Division of Industrial and Applied Physics) in the Canadian Association of Physicists. During 10 years, he worked as an expert on specialized Tasks (Glazing, Solar Heating and Cooling) of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Active in promoting transfer of knowledge to society, he has served on several boards of directors of tech-transfer organizations(microelectronics, telecommunications, photonics, wind energy, media arts,analysis of organizations). In the area of collaboration with developing countries, he has had projects in training and research with the Institute of Physics in Ho Chi Minh City, and a number of Vietnamese universities. He has worked during 3 years as the Chair of the CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) selection committee for the University Partnership in Cooperation and Development Program. Vo-Van also has been Chair of the Academic Advisory Committee of the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission. For 7 years, he worked as president of the Canada-Vietnam Education Network/Réseau d'éducation Canada-Vietnam, a not-for-profit organization aimed at promoting collaboration between Canada and Vietnam in education and research.

Research interests

Optical properties of metallic nanoparticles and nanostructures
Self-assembly processes and other methods for the fabrication of nanostructures
Sensing devices based on plasmonic properties of materials
Nanostructured solar cells
Smart electrochromic devices
Optical characterization methods

Tran Vinh Son, Phuong Anh Do, Vo-Van Truong, Georges Bader, Alain Haché, "Polarization modulation by vanadium dioxide on metallic substrates", Optics Communications (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optcom.2018.07.010

T.V.Son, Vo-Van Truong, J.F. Bisson, A. Haché,“Nanosecond polarization modulation in vanadium oxide thin films”, Applied Physics Letters 111, 041103 (2017).

P. Cormier, T.V. Son, J. Thibodeau, A. Doucet, Vo-Van Truong, A. Haché, “Vanadiumdioxide as a material to control light polarization in the visible and nearinfrared”, Optics Communications 382, 80-85 (2017).

P. Jittiarporn, S. Badilescu, M.N. Al Sawafta, L. Sikong, Vo-Van Truong,“Electrochromic properties of sol-gel prepared hybrid transition metal oxides –A short review”, Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices (2017), http://dx.doi.org/j.jsamd.2017.08.005.

P. Jittiarporn, L. Sikong, K. Kooptarnond, W. Taweepreda, S. Stoenescu,S. Badilescu, Vo-Van Truong, “Electrochromic properties of MoO₃ – WO₃thin films prepared by sol-gel method in the presence of a triblockcopolymer template”, Surface & Coatings Technology 327, 66-74 (2017).

L.M. Long, T.Q. Trung, Vo-Van Truong, Nguyen Nang Dinh, “Optical and NH₃gas sensing properties of hole-transport layers based on PEDOT:PSSincorporated with nano-TiO₂”, Materials Sciences and Applications 8,663-672 (2017).

S. Stoenescu, S. Badilescu, T. Sharma, R. Bruning, Vo-Van Truong, “Tungsten Oxide-Cellulose Nanocrystal Composite Films for Electrochromic Applications”, Optical Engineering 55 (12), 127102 (2016); doi:10.1117/1.OE.55.12.127102.

Tran-Vinh Son, Vo-Van Truong, Phuong Anh Do, Alain Hache, “Ultra-Thin, Single-Layer Polarization Rotator”, AIP Advances 6, 085102 (2016); doi: 10.1063/1.4960552.

Afaf Almoabadi, Mohammed Alfawafta, Simona Badilescu, Victor Stancovski, Tanu Sharma, Ralf Bruning, Vo-Van Truong, “Sub-zero temperature dip-coating of sol-gel vanadium pentoxide: effect of the deposition temperature on the film structure, morphology and electrochromic properties”, Journal of Nanomaterials, Volume 2016 (2016), Article ID 4595869, 10 pages, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4595869

Mohammed Alsawafta, Afaf Almoabadi, Simona Badilescu and Vo-Van Truong, “Improved Electrochromic Properties of Vanadium Pentoxide Nanorods Prepared by Thermal Treatment of Sol-Gel Dip-Coated Thin Films”, Journal of the Electrochemical Society 162 (7), H466-H472 (2015).

Tran Thi Thao, Tran Quang Trung, Vo-Van Truong, Nguyen Nang Dinh, "Enhancement of Power Efficiency and Stability of P3HT-based Organic Solar Cells under Elevated Operating-Temperatures by using a Nanocomposite Photoactive Layer," Journal of Nanomaterials, Vol. 2015, Article ID 463565, 7 pages (2015).

Mohammed Alsawafta, Mamoun Wahbeh and Vo-Van Truong, "Investigation of the Validity of the Universal Scaling Law on Linear Chains of Silver Nanoparticles," Journal of Nanomaterials, Vol. 2015, Article ID 983413, 12 pages (2015).

Y. Mosaddeghian Golestani, M. Alsawafta, S. Badilescu, V. Stancovski, Vo-Van Truong, “Microstructure and Electrochromic Properties of Nanostructured Tungsten Oxide Thin Films Prepared by the Vacuum Filtration and Transfer Method”, Journal of the Electrochemical Society 161 (14), H909-H916 (2014).

S. Stoenescu, Vo-Van Truong, M. Packirisamy, “Non-Destructive Quantification of Alignment of Nanorods Embedded in Uniaxially Stretched Polymer Films”, J. Applied Physics 115, 114301, 12 pages, (2014).

M.Alsawafta, Y.M.Golestani, T.Phonemac, S.Badilescu, V.Stancovski, Vo-Van Truong, “Electrochromic Properties of Sol-Gel Synthesized Macroporous Tungsten Oxide Films Doped with Gold Nanoparticles”, Journal of the Electrochemical Society 161 (5), H1-H8 (2014).

Do Ngoc Chung, Do Ngoc Hieu, Tran Thi Thao, Vo-Van Truong and Nguyen Nang Dinh "Synthesis and Characterization of Ce-Doped Y3Al5O12 (YAG:Ce) Nanopowders Used for Solid-State Lighting", Journal of Nanomaterials, Vol. 2014, Article ID 571920, 7 pages, doi:10.1155/2014/571920 (2014).

A.Y. Mahmoud, R. Izquierdo, Vo-Van Truong, “Gold Nanorods Incorporated Cathode for Better Performance of Polymer Solar Cells”, Journal of Nanomaterials, Vol. 2014, Article ID 464160, 7 pages (2014).

J. K. Baral, A. Sharma, D. Wang, D. Ma, V.-V. Truong, R. Izquierdo, "Enhanced Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency in Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells upon Incorporating Nanohybridized PbS Quantum Dots/Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes", Euro. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 65, issue 01, 10201, 8 pages (January 2014).

T.T.Thao, D.N.Chung, N.N. Dinh, Vo-Van Truong, “Photoluminescence Quenching of Nanocomposite Materials Used for Organic Solar Cells”, Communications in Physics, Vol. 24, No 3S1 (2014).

M. Alsawafta, S. Badilescu, Vo-Van Truong, M. Packirisamy, “Growth of Gold Crystal under the Presence of Bubbles Trapped under the Surface of Gold-Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Nanocomposite Films”, Progress in Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials 2, 69-76 (2013).

S. Stoenescu, Vo-Van Truong, M. Packirisamy, “Dichroic Optical Properties of Uniaxially Oriented Gold Nanorods in Polymer Films”, Plasmonics DOI 10.1007/s11468-013-9623-x (2013).

A. Mahmoud, J. Zhang, D. Ma, R. Izquierdo, Vo-Van Truong, “Thickness Dependent Enhanced Efficiency of Polymer Solar Cells with Gold Nanorods Embedded in the Photoactive Layer”, Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells 116, 1-8 (2013).

N.N. Dinh, D.N. Chung, T.T. Thao, T.T.C. Thuy, L.H.Chi, Vo-Van Truong, “Enhancement of Performance of Organic Light Emitting Diodes by Using Ti- and Mo-Oxide Nano Hybrid Layers”, Materials Science and Applications 4, 275-280 (2013).

N.Anand, S.Venkatesh, P.Putta, S.Stoenescu, S.Badilescu, M.Packirisamy, Vo-Van Truong, “Fabrication of a Gold Nanostar-Embedded Porous Poly(dimethylsiloxan) Platform for Sensing Applications”, Sensors & Transducers 149, 20-28 (2013).

A. Hajiaboli, M. Kahrizi, Vo-Van Truong, “Optical Behaviour of Thick Films of Gold and Silver Films with Circular Hole Arrays”, J. of Physics D: Applied Physics 45 (2012) 485105 (8pp).

Alaa Mahmoud, J. Zhang, D. Ma, R. Izquierdo, Vo-Van Truong, “Optically-Enhanced Performance of Polymer Solar Cells with Low Concentration of Gold Nanorods in the Anodic Buffer Layer”, Organic Electronics 13, 3102-3107 (2012).

Hongjun Gao, Ricardo Izquierdo, Vo-Van Truong, “Chemical Vapor Doping of Transparent and Conductive Films of Carbon Nanotubes”, Chemical Physics Letters 546, 109-114, dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cplett.2012.07.047 (2012).

Bernard de Dormale, Vo-Van Truong, “Diffraction of Light by a Two-Dimensional Lattice of Spheres”, Int. J. Optics 2012, 901970 (10 pp), doi:10.1155/2012/901970 (2012).

N.N. Dinh, D.H. Ninh, T.T. Thao, Vo-Van Truong, “Mixed Nanostructured Ti-W Oxides Films for Efficient Electrochromic Windows”, J. Nanomaterials 2012, 781236 (7pp), DOI 10.1155/2012/781236 (2012).

M. Alsawafta, S. Badilescu, Vo-Van Truong and M. Packirisamy, “The Effect of Hydrogen Nanobubbles on the Morphology of Gold-Gelatin Bionanocomposite Films and their Optical Properties”, IOP Nanotechnology 23, 065305 (9pp), DOI 10.1088/0957-4484/23/6/065305 (2012).

M. Alsawafta, M. Wahbeh, Vo-Van Truong, “Plasmonic Modes and Optical Properties of Gold and Silver Ellipsoidal Nanoparticles by the Discrete Dipole Approximation”, J. Nanomaterials, DOI:10.1155/2012/457968 (2012).