Assembly and Manipulation of Functional Supramolecular Nanostructures at Surfaces

05-SONS-FP-001- FUN SMARTs II

FunSMARTs II is engaged in the structural realisation of nanostructured functional molecular systems by hierarchical self-assembly processes. By concentrating on the functionality “Molecular Magnetism” in two different variations (long-range ordered 2D domains and 0D single molecule magnets), we expect to carry out “proof–of-principle” experiments how to integrate and to manipulate molecular magnetic domains within demonstration operable devices.
To gain structural and functional control within the nanometer resolution, highly-advanced synthetic designs and cutting-edge scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) techniques will be combined within FunSmartsII. The use of molecular nanosystems will allow undercutting the superparamagnetic limit restricting the inferior domain size in inorganic nanoparticle approaches.
By joining eight different research groups providing expertise in chemistry, physics and computer-based simulation we plan to set up an interdisciplinary European joint venture concentrating on the development of new concepts for directed self-assembly of functional molecular nano-architectures. A close collaboration between supramolecular chemistry known for their expertise in designing functional molecular systems and nanoscale physics with an excellent background in experimental techniques addressing few or single molecules and their properties will advance the basic understanding in this domain to be employed for the steering of molecular systems in the nanometer regime.
State-of-the-art theoretical calculations will guide the experimental work and allow for its in-depth interpretation.

Project Leader:
Dr. Mario Ruben
Institute of Nanotechnology, Research Centre Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany

Principal Investigators:
Professor Harald Brune
Institute of the Physics of Nanostructures (IPN), EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland

Professor Jaume Veciana Miro
Institut de Ciencia de Materials de Barcelona, CSIC, Cerdanyola del Valles, Spain

Professor Klaus Kern
Institute für Festkörperforschung, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Stuttgart, Germany

Dr. Nian Lin
Institute of Solid State Research Stuttgart, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Stuttgart, Germany

Dr. Fabio Biscarini
Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati (ISMN), CNR, Bologna, Italy

Professor Alessandro De Vita
Università di Trieste, Consigli Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Trieste, Italy