Welcome!
We are a new lab investigating chemical and physical properties of matter at the nanoscale. We are particularly interested in:
* New approaches to the synthesis of nanocrystals
* Self-assembly of nanoparticles
* Organic nanostructures
* Supramolecular chemistry
* Chemical reactivity in confined spaces
* Molecular switches
* Stimuli-responsive materials
Available positions:
Rotation, M.Sc. and Ph.D. positions available. Postdoc positions available for outstanding candidates.
Please inquire with Dr. Rafal Klajn.
News:
HOW TO GUIDE DIAMAGNETIC PARTICLES USING WEAK MAGNETS
We show that diamagnetic particles can be remotely manipulated by a magnet after minute amounts of our dual-responsive nanoparticles are adsorbed onto their surface. Adsorption occurs upon exposure to UV light and can be reversed by
ambient light. The resulting diamagnetic core-paramagnetic shell assemblies can be remotely guided to desired locations, where the diamagnetic "cargo"
can be released simply by exposure to visible light, which "strips off" the monolayers of superparamagnetic nanoparticles. A movie demonstrating
the delivery and release of gold nanoparticles using this technique can be found here.
Project leader: O. Chovnik
DUAL-RESPONSIVE NANOPARTICLES
We have designed nanoparticles capable of responding to two types of external stimuli - light and magnetic field - in an orthogonal
fashion. The ability to respond to magnetic fields is "encoded" in the superparamagnetic cores of the nanoparticles whereas the interactions with light
are governed by the self-assembled monolayers comprising the photoswitchable azobenzene groups. The resulting "dual-responsive" nanoparticles
can be assembled into various higher-order structures, depending on the relative contributions of the two external stimuli. The formation of these
assemblies is fully reversible and they can be disassembled into individual nanoparticles when the UV light and/or magnetic field are removed.
Project leader: Dr. S. Das
NANOPARTICLE HELICES
Controlled assembly of nanoparticles is of paramount importance for the understanding of their fundamental properties and for the development
of new functional materials. We have recently developed a method to assemble nanocrystals into well-defined helices as thin as 100 nm and as
long as 1 mm (see SEM pictures below). Note that the pitch of the helices is on the order of the wavelength of the visible light (and can
be regulated!), making these structures attractive candidates for investigating the effect of light on various material properties.
Project leader: Dr. G. Singh
WORLD'S SMALLEST METALLIC BOWLS?
We have developed a solution synthesis of metallic nanoparticles with a unique shape of tiny bowls. These "nanobowls" have cavities just few
nanometers across and can be used to "trap" other nanosized objects. The picture below is a collage made of several tomograms reconstructed
from data collected using scanning transmission electron microscopy. This is how the nanobowls really look like in three dimensions!
Project leader: Y. Ridelman
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