Dendritic nanoporous materials with multifunctionality

The aim of this project is to develop novel nanoporous materials with organized pore structure based on sol-gel reactions. The unique concept proposed here is to combine the sol-gel process with another class of materials: dendritic polymers. The dendrimers will act both as carriers of functionality, and/or as templates and structure directors for building up the porous network. The use of dendrimers opens up a variety of ways to introduce molecular multifunctionality into solid-state sol-gel materials. We will take advantage of the good prospects for the optical laser spectroscopy in combination with other structural characterization to understand the microscopic origin of the photo-physical properties. With this proposal we therefore seek to establish a forum for laboratory work - synthesis and characterization.