Master/PhD thesis in Physics and Physical Chemistry
Design of New Hybrid Sensor Materials by Biofunctionalization of Semiconductors
Physical Chemistry of Biosystems / BIOQUANT, Univ. Heidelberg (Prof. M. Tanaka)
The main goal of the project is to design new hybrid sensor materials by biofunctionalization of
semiconductors, which can be achieved either by (i) deposition of biological
membranes on chemically pre-functionalized semiconductors, or by (ii) chemical
coupling of synthetic protein models to semiconductors (collaboration with
Prof. S. Kimura, Kyoto Univ.).
To obtain quantitative information about the lateral density and structural
orders of biomolecular systems, we first functionalize and characterize bulk
semiconductor substrates/electrodes, using ellipsometry,
grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction/scattering (at European Synchrotron Radiation
Facility in Grenoble), FTIR, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical
impedance spectroscopy. As soon as the system is established on bulk surfaces, we directly transfer the
functionalization protocols on various low-dimensional semiconductors
buried near the surface, such as quantum dots and two-dimensional electron
gases (collaboration with Prof. G. Abstreiter, TU Munich and Prof. M.
Eickhoff, TU Munich/Univ. Gießen).
The applicant is supposed to possess basic knowledge in physical chemistry or physics, especially in surface
chemistry, solid state physics, and electrochemistry.
If you have interests, please contact:
Prof. Motomu Tanaka (Tanaka_at_uni-heidelberg.de)
References
M. Tanaka and E. Sackmann, Phys. Stat. Sol. A, 14, 3452 (2006)
K. Adlkofer, E. Duijs, F. Findeis, M. Bichler, A. Zrenner,
E. Sackmann, G. Abstreiter, M. Tanaka, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 4, 785 (2002)
D. Gassull, S. Luber, A. Ulman, M. Grunze, M. Tornow, G. Abstreiter, M. Tanaka, J. Phys. Chem. C, 111, 12414 (2007)