Directed Self-Assembly of Biologically-Based Nanostructures

The objective of this program is to develop biologically based, nanostructured materials that form through self-assembly into well-defined, hierarchical architectures. We will use directed self-assembly to obtain new materials with prespecified arrangement and connectivity for use in Navy optical and electronic applications. The results of this research will lead to enhanced performance of materials such as organic conductors and non-linear optical materials, whose properties are known to depend on their degree of order. The ability to interconnect and order different types of functional units will lead to advanced materials with tailorable properties that have potential applications in the areas of optical switching, optical communications, and memory devices.

Contact the Principal Investigator, Mark Spector, for more information