Nanostructured Surfaces from Planet-Satellite Assemblies of Nanoparticles

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Philipp Vana
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: from 2015 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 286448449

In this project, planet-satellite structures made from two types of nanoparticles, which are linked together by star polymers from RAFT polymerization, will be investigated regarding their detailed structure, and their dimensions and particle arrangements will be optimized. It will be studied, which arms of the star polymers and how many of them are linking the particles and how strong these linkages are. By variation of the used nanoparticles and star polymers as well as by functionalization of the employed nanoparticles, we will address and investigate different functions (e.g., sensing or charge separation) to these self-assembling structures. I will additionally be studied, whether nanofibres or nanorods may act as the central particle that is surrounded by the second type of nanoparticle. Finally, the planet-satellite structures will be attached to surfaces and stabilized in order to obtain new nanostructured surfaces. Functionalization of the two types of particles leads thus to surfaces, on which two types of functions alternate regularly on the nanometer-scale. We will fix peptide-ligands to these structured surfaces, which will be used for cell- and tumor-migration studies. For these investigations, a precise control of ligand density and function pattern is essential.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants