Synthesizing, functionalizing and exploring metal nanoparticles for biophysical single molecule studies, and new materials

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Carsten Sönnichsen
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation
• Term: from 2005 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5457290

We will explore the use of metal nanoparticles for medical sensing devices, new photonic materials and single molecule biophysical studies. Using metal nanoparticles as labels in biophysical studies has advantages over commonly used fluorescence markers because they neither blink nor bleach and can provide both distance and orientation information. For materials science and device applications, the large field enhancement under optical illumination, the changes in color upon changes in the environment, and the directed scattering will prove useful for applications ranging from fundamental research, new biosensors to decorative coloring. This interdisciplinary research program will follow four parallel but connected work-streams:The controlled systhesis of metal nanoparticles of different shape and composition, especially gold nanorods. These particles will be used in the following projects.The functionaliszation of nanoparticles with biomolecules by understanding and controlling surface properties in order to assemble the particles into artifical nanostructures.The study of the mechano-chemistry of large biomolecules during their functional task on a single molecule level using plasmon based labes, andEngineering new materials for nonlinear optical devices by exploring the optical field enhancement of the tip of metal rods.

• DFG Programme: Independent Junior Research Groups
• Major Instrumentation: Hochgeschwindigkeitskamera
• Instrumentation Group: 5430 Hochgeschwindigkeits-Kameras (ab 100 Bilder/Sek)