Research Group 'Multifunctional Nanostructures'
Prof. Dr. Kornelius Nielsch
Multifunctional nanostructures are very small entities that due to their shape, structure or physical properties can be used in multiple fields. We synthesise and investigate them for thermoelectronic, magnetic and biotechnological applications.
Research Highlights
- Our recent work on fabrication of Bi-SiO2 core-shell nanowires and observation of the semimetal-to-semiconductor phase transition through optical and electrical characterizations was chosen as the cover story to the Journal of Materials Chemistry.
 
- By a combination of electrochemical and low-temperature atomic layer deposition techniques, we have succeeded to fabricate semiconducting nanotubes of zinc sulfide with adjustable tube diameters and wall thicknesses. This work was chosen as the cover story to the journal Nanotechnology and is also featured in the nanotechnology news website .
- We developed the first VLS method for the growth of V-VI semiconductor nanowires ! A report on this achievement appeared in Advanced Materials (http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.200803436). One step towards the creation of elongated thermoelectric nanostructures...
- We developed a very practical ALD reaction for SiO2 ! The story that we just published in Angewandte Chemie shows how we used simple chemical thinking to design a process useful in materials science and solid-state physics.
- The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) accepted the priority program "Nanostructured thermoelectrics" (SPP 1386).
- We now understand everything (almost ...) on the magnetism of iron oxide nanotubes ! The theoretical interpretation of our experimental data appeared in Physical Review B
- A recent overview (in German) on thermoelectric nanostructures can be found here
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J. Am. Chem. Soc. published our method for Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) of Fe2O3. We used it to prepare arrays of Fe2O3 nanotubes of well-controlled geometry and with smooth walls in a porous alumina template. After reduction to Fe3O4, the tubes show a magnetic response that strongly depends on the thickness of the wall (between 2 and 20 nm), all other geometric parameters being maintained constant. We can even optimize the magnetic properties by properly tuning the geometry. 
This work is also presented as Research Highlight in Nature Nanotechnology
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