Design of nanostructured organic films
This project is aimed at the development of a new methodology for fabrication and characterisation of highly ordered films of known and controllable structure. The control of the structure of thin films at a molecular level is essential for light harvesting applications in devices such as solar cells. Although many techniques for producing layered films have been demonstrated, practical methods for controlling the structure in the plane of the surface have not been explored. Organic materials such as porphyrins are ideal for the formation of functional films as thin as a single molecular layer. In this project we are applying novel methods to construct, by way of an organic linker layer directly onto a silicon substrate, highly ordered films of porphyrin derivatives. We will use our expertise in characterisation methods (X-ray reflectivity, synchrotron grazing incidence diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) to demonstrate that the desired assembly has been achieved. Films produced in this way have applications in photonics, molecular electronics, molecular recognition and catalysis.
