Synthesis of Functional Organic Nanotubes As Building Blocks for Bottom-Up Nanofabrication

In order to provide a chemical contribution to the multidisciplinary nanoscience effort, a synthetic approach has been developed to generate key building blocks for the bottom-up approach to device miniaturization. On the basis of helically folding polymers, the proposed research program aims to prepare organic nanotubes possessing controlled dimensions and chirality as well as defined interior and exterior surface functionalities. Combining the strengths of covalent and non-covalent synthesis, the project involves four strongly interconnected stages associated with preparation, folding, crosslinking, and postfunctionalization of the backbone to afford the desired functional tubular nanoobjects. Subsequent collaborative efforts involving physicists will be focusing on in-depth characterization of the tubes to establish structure-property relationships and their integration into actual devices and materials.