2015 Participants
Oliver O’Daly
Amphiphilic molecules are important in biology and for commercial applications, spontaneously forming organized spherical, layered or more complex ‘soft’ structures with differentiated spaces, i.e. their inside is different from their outside. This project will investigate new amphiphiles in which ~1 nm molecular metal oxides (polyoxometalates, POMs) are joined to flexible ‘tails’. The uniquely versatile POMs will vastly expand the possible functionalities of resulting self-organised structures including (i) reversible electron storage, (ii) systems that respond to stimuli e.g. light, magnetism, electrical potential and chemicals. The fundamental chemistry in this project will provide routes to new materials for energy storage and sensors.
Project Supervisor: Dr John Errington, School of Chemistry
Funding Source: Newcastle University