A building-block approach for the study of transport and reactions in confined environments: from synthesis to nano-organised devices through controlled assembly

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Klaus Müllen
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: from 2002 to 2008
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5383567

The collaborative research effort in the project "A building-block approach for the study of transport and in reactions confined environments: from synthesis to nano-organised devices through controlled assembly" is directed towards the exploration of hierarchic hybrid materials in the form of ultrathin films. While the assembly of small molucules, polymers and colloids has been a topic for research since several years, little is known about the incorporation of preorganized molecular objects such as dendrimers. While demanding with respect to synthesis, dendrimers offer a well defined exterior and interior that makes them attractive as nanocontainers or nanoreactors. If such materials are co-assembled with others, one should expect that the resulting hybrid structures will show additional functionality that arises form the controlled spatial arrangement of all components. In the present project we propose to synthesise a large variety of dendrimer building blocks, to assemble them in a controlled way, to characterize the resulting nano-organized systems and to study transport and reactions in such devices for some model cases.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Gero Decher; Professor Dr. Wolfgang Knoll; Dr. Jean-Pierre Majoral