Partnership

Materials development for molecular devices

The molecular nanosctructures group of the IFW and the Chair for Materials Science and Nanotechnology of the Technische Universität Dresden have developed, over the years, a strong and produtive collaboration. Indeed, so frutiful, mutually supportive and unique is this relationship it is, in practice, more appropriate to term our collaboration a partnership.

In this partnership, we share laboratories and personnel. For example, the molecular nanostructures group at the IFW runs a laser ablation laboratory at the technical university and is currently establishing a second laboratory in partnership with the chair of Prof. Cuniberti. In addition, we share personnel. For example, Imad Ibrahim, a PhD candidate of Prof. Cuniberti is based in our institute working with us to develop molecular juncitions in single walled carbon nanotubes as a means to tailor their electronic properties. Moreover, various theorotitians under Prof. Cuniberti are develping theoretical models to better understand such molecular juntions.

Models: stick and balls models of various molecular junctions in SWNT. SEM image showing a SWNT with a kink (molecular junction).

Our partnership also includes developing Si nanowires and novel strategies for graphene synthesis and engineering from both an applied and theoretical perspective.

Our interest in Si nanowires lies in their exciting potential as building blocks for bio-sensors and enhanced thermoelectric elements which could form, for example, efficient peltier devices. Graphene holds massive promise in a variety of areas, including the potential to serve as a key material for future molecular electronics devices. An important area in this sense is their controlled synthesis which an understanding up the underlying growth mechanisms. Together we are building new strategies for novel and exciting formation routes for graphene on oxides.