A modular materials design using integrated nanotube and nanowire assemblies

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Based on our experiences on the formation of oxide nanotubes by coating cellulose or metal salt nanofibre templates, the scientific aims of this new project are the development of a versatile modular approach for the design of hierarchical organised materials based on an ordered template of polysaccharide whiskers. Inorganic nanotube formation on the polysaccharide whiskers will include metallisation, sol-gel or electrochemical deposition. A novel design concept of solar cells with an entirely accessible 3D- porous nanotube based architecture embedded in a semiconductor material creating charge carriers by the photoeffect is proposed to demonstrate the versatility of our modular structures. In the newly designed dye-sensitized solar cells the incorporated metal nanowires formed by metallisation of the templating cellulose whiskers will lead to a fast and efficient electron transport to the back electrode. The proposed research programme involves three major scientific parts: Formation of high density networks of ordered arrays of surface bound cellulose whiskers as a central issue; formation of inorganic nanotubes or bulk inorganic materials in the voids between the whiskers using sol-gel processing, electrochemical deposition and photoelectrochemical characterization of the obtained components.