Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Novel nanostructures for efficient long-range energy transport

This is a supramolecular nanofiber consisting of more than 10,000 perfectly ordered building blocks, which enables an energy transport over a distance of more than 4 micrometers at room temperature.
CREDIT: Picture by A. T. Haedler.
This is a supramolecular nanofiber consisting of more than 10,000 perfectly ordered building blocks, which enables an energy transport over a distance of more than 4 micrometers at room temperature.

CREDIT: Picture by A. T. Haedler.

Abstract:
The conversion of sunlight into electricity at low cost becomes increasingly important to meet the world's fast growing energy consumption. This task requires the development of new device concepts, in which particularly the transport of light-generated energy with minimal losses is a key aspect. An interdisciplinary group of researchers from the Universities of Bayreuth and Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) report in Nature on nanofibers, which enable for the first time a directed energy transport over several micrometers at room temperature. This transport distance can only be explained with quantum coherence effects along the individual nanofibers.

Novel nanostructures for efficient long-range energy transport

Bayreuth, Germany | Posted on August 21st, 2015

The research groups of Richard Hildner (Experimental Physics) and Hans-Werner Schmidt (Macromolecular Chemistry) at the University of Bayreuth prepared supramolecular nanofibers, which can comprise more than 10,000 identical building blocks. The core of the building block is a so-called carbonyl-bridged triarylamine. This triarylamine derivative was synthesized by the research group of Milan Kivala (Organic Chemistry) at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and chemically modified at the University of Bayreuth. Three naphthalimidbithiophene chromophores are linked to this central unit. Under specific conditions, the building blocks spontaneously self-assemble and form nanofibers with lengths of more than 4 micrometers and diameters of only 0.005 micrometer. For comparison: a human hair has a thickness of 50 to 100 micrometers.

With a combination of different microscopy techniques the scientists at the University of Bayreuth were able to visualize the transport of excitation energy along these nanofibers. To achieve this long-range energy transport, the triarylamine cores of the building blocks, that are perfectly arranged face to face, act in concert. Thus, the energy can be transferred in a wave-like manner from one building block to the next: This phenomenon is called quantum coherence.

"These highly promising nanostructures demonstrate that carefully tailoring materials for the efficient transport of light energy is an emerging research area" says Dr. Richard Hildner, an expert in the field of light harvesting at the University of Bayreuth. The research area light harvesting aims at a precise description of the transport processes in natural photosynthetic machineries to use this knowledge for building novel nanostructures for power generation from sunlight. In this field interdisciplinary groups of researchers work together in the Bavarian initiative Solar Technologies Go Hybrid and in the Research Training Group Photophysics of synthetic and biological multichromophoric systems (GRK 1640) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

###

Publication:

Andreas T. Haedler et al.: Long-Range Energy Transport in Single Supramolecular Nanofibres at Room Temperature,

Nature 523, 196 - 199 (2015), DOI: 10.1038/nature14570.

####

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Dr. Richard Hildner
Experimental Physics IV
University of Bayreuth
Phone: +49 (0) 921 55 4040


Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Schmidt
Macromolecular Chemistry I
University of Bayreuth
Phone: +49 (0) 921 55 3200 und -3299

Copyright © University of Bayreuth

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Two-dimensional bimetallic selenium-containing metal-organic frameworks and their calcinated derivatives as electrocatalysts for overall water splitting March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Self Assembly

Liquid crystal templated chiral nanomaterials October 14th, 2022

Nanoclusters self-organize into centimeter-scale hierarchical assemblies April 22nd, 2022

Atom by atom: building precise smaller nanoparticles with templates March 4th, 2022

Nanostructures get complex with electron equivalents: Nanoparticles of two different sizes break away from symmetrical designs January 14th, 2022

Discoveries

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024

High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Materials/Metamaterials/Magnetoresistance

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Focused ion beam technology: A single tool for a wide range of applications January 12th, 2024

Catalytic combo converts CO2 to solid carbon nanofibers: Tandem electrocatalytic-thermocatalytic conversion could help offset emissions of potent greenhouse gas by locking carbon away in a useful material January 12th, 2024

Announcements

What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

The Access to Advanced Health Institute receives up to $12.7 million to develop novel nanoalum adjuvant formulation for better protection against tuberculosis and pandemic influenza March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters

Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024

How surface roughness influences the adhesion of soft materials: Research team discovers universal mechanism that leads to adhesion hysteresis in soft materials March 8th, 2024

Curcumin nanoemulsion is tested for treatment of intestinal inflammation: A formulation developed by Brazilian researchers proved effective in tests involving mice March 8th, 2024

Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024

Energy

Development of zinc oxide nanopagoda array photoelectrode: photoelectrochemical water-splitting hydrogen production January 12th, 2024

Shedding light on unique conduction mechanisms in a new type of perovskite oxide November 17th, 2023

Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023

The efficient perovskite cells with a structured anti-reflective layer – another step towards commercialization on a wider scale October 6th, 2023

Solar/Photovoltaic

Development of zinc oxide nanopagoda array photoelectrode: photoelectrochemical water-splitting hydrogen production January 12th, 2024

Shedding light on unique conduction mechanisms in a new type of perovskite oxide November 17th, 2023

Inverted perovskite solar cell breaks 25% efficiency record: Researchers improve cell efficiency using a combination of molecules to address different November 17th, 2023

Charged “molecular beasts” the basis for new compounds: Researchers at Leipzig University use “aggressive” fragments of molecular ions for chemical synthesis November 3rd, 2023

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project