CarboTUNE - tuning the electronic structure of functional nanocarbons by means of charge transfer

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Dirk M. Guldi
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Molecules, Liquids and Interfaces, Biophysical Chemistry
• Term: from 2012 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 226731167

The major thrust of this proposal is the implementation of a small molecule approach as well as an oligomer approach towards self-ordering / self-assembling semiconducting nanocarbons (i.e., 1-dimensional carbon nanotubes and 2-dimensional graphene) to realize functioning charge transfer materials that unify light harvesting, charge separation, and catalysis. We propose in two different work packages several interlocking approaches involving design, materials, characterization, advanced measurements, and device fabrication. All of them are based on a broad range of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques and are meant to address a series of milestones that relate to tuning the electronic structure of functional nanocarbons by means of charge transfer / doping interactions. The self-ordering / self-assembling principles should be as simple as possible and, thus, several suitable functional building blocks will be utilized with a common denominator, namely photo- and redoxactivity. The composite nature of the resulting functional nanocarbons raises the exciting possibility of nanoscale charge transfer material having a tunable structure that can be tailored to a particular electronic functionality.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Australia, Spain, United Kingdom
• Participating Persons: Professor Andrei Khlobystov, Ph.D.; Professor David Officer; Professor Dr. Tomas Torres