Nanotubes and Nanowires: From Self-Organization to Functional Nanosystems
Nanometer-scale materials can have unique properties due to their reduced dimensions, and serve as building blocks for the assembly of miniature functional systems. In macroscopic functional systems, wires, tubes and rods play critical roles of transporting energy, forces, matter and information. Which materials could play analogous roles at the smallest possible scale? How does the reduced dimensionality determine the properties of molecular wires? How can they be organized and integrated into functional systems?
Our research focuses on the organization of one-dimensional nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes, inorganic nanotubes and nanowires, their integration into functional nanosystems (mechanical, electronic, electromechanical, optoelectronic, electromagnetic, thermal, etc.) and their characterization by mechanical, electrical and optical measurements at the nanometer scale.
Guided growth of horizontal nanowires
Epitaxial approaches to carbon nanotube organization
Non-equilibrium self-organization of complex nanostructures
Nanotube torsion and NEMS
Surface-directed self-assembly
Polymers as molecular wires
Theory of molecular wires
