Functional Nanoscale Inorganic Materials

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December 2009, marked the 50th anniversary of Richard Feynman’s visionary and now often quoted lecture entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom.” Feynman’s 7000 words were a defining moment in nanoscience/nanotechnology long before anything “nano” appeared on the horizon. “What I want to talk about” he said “is the problem of manipulating and controlling things on a nanoscale….. “Feynman’s lecture inspired many scientists to carry out research at the nanoscale. Despite the many advances, which have occurred over the past century, society will continue to be faced with daunting challenges in biomedicine, forensic and security (fingerprint detection, tagging explosives, and anti-forgery of documents) unless major scientific and technological breakthroughs are fostered. These challenges, all of which may benefit from nanotechnology, include identifying the molecular origins of many diseases and early detection both of which are paramount to effective treatment. Many if not all of these challenges will depend on understanding the properties and behaviour of aggregates of atoms and molecules at a scale where properties differ significantly from those at the larger scale (macroscopic) and on the synthesis of new nanomaterials. The overriding objective of our research program is the synthesis of functional nanomaterials, characterize their photophysical , structural and chemical properties. The programme as a whole poses many challenges and breaks new ground in understanding the challenges faced by the community carrying out research on nanomaterials for biological applications (bioimaging, drug delivery, optical sensing, photodynamic therapy and photoswitching). The programme will provide an understanding of the interaction of nanoparticles with proteins. This fundamental understanding of the interaction of the NPs with proteins will foster the long-term design of materials. We will also investigate perfluorinated emulsions as potential carriers of fluorinated photosensitising dyes that can be used for photodynamic therapy.