Siegel der Universität Heidelberg

 

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)