Research topics

• Fullerenes
• Spectroelectrochemistry
• Functional crystals on the nanoscale

The morphology of nanoscale materials such as the size and the shape of the nanoparticles and nanocrystals can dramatically affect their properties. Research on nanoscale materials is motivated by the observation that materials, previously only known in their bulk phase, show a significant change in physical and chemical properties or even exhibit novel phenomena at the nanoscale due to a high surface-to-volume ratio and finite size effects. The thorough characterization and understanding of these properties in interplay with nanoscopic length scales will ultimately guide the way to the exploitation of these effects in applications, including high density storage media and biomedical materials. The group of nanoscale chemistry is focusing on the synthesis of inorganic, organic, and hybrid nanomaterials. For instance, we develop new methods to synthesize single-crystalline inorganic nanowires and nanocrystals directly inside the carbon nanotubes. On even a smaller scale, single metal ions and small clusters are encapsulated inside fullerenes during their formation in arc-discharge synthesis forming endohedral fullerenes. Carbon nanostructures in such hybrid materials act not only as templating matrices but also as protecting shields stabilizing the nanosized forms of inorganic materials. Unique electronic, transport, and magnetic properties of these hybrid heterostructures are achieved due to nanosize of encapsulated structures and the interface effects at the boundary with the carbon π-system are then studied in close cooperation with other groups of IFW. Reducing only one dimension to nanoscopic length scale we have to consider ultrathin layers of the materials. The charge carrier densities of ultrathin layers which are part of an electric double layer can be influenced strongly by applying an electrochemical potential. Our aim is to investigate how huge charge carrier densities will influence the electric and magnetic properties of appropriate materials.