FUNSURF: Functional Supramolecular Networks on Surfaces.

FUNSURF is an interdisciplinary research project which lies at a natural meeting point between chemistry, physics, materials science and nanotechnology. The training-through-research basis of FUNSURF focuses on the design, synthesis and characterisation of functional supramolecular networks on surfaces. Many of the structures produced by supramolecular self-assembly display high levels of spatial order making it an ideal method for producing the next generation of functional nanostructured devices. FUNSURF will produce molecular architectures which can be activated by external stimuli to perform specific functions. These include switching on or off adsorption sites in a network via optically induced changes in molecular configuration and initiating localised chemical reacitons. Alongside this the development of Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (TERS) will provide a chemically specific characterisation tool with nanoscale resolution.

Keywords:Supramolecular, Reactivity, Chemistry, Surface, Scanning tunneling

Disciplines:Inorganic chemistry, Organic chemistry, Theoretical and computational chemistry, Other chemical sciences