Bottom-up bioinspired materials

Previous and current research

In the research group of Prof. Cuniberti at Dresden University of Technology, we focus on developing a multiscale (nano to micro) understanding of fundamental phenomena, aiming towards the engineering of complex nano-materials to find answers to some of today and tomorrow most important questions: How can innovative materials be developed where their smallest constituents imply novel intrinsic properties? Which new processes and principles can be followed to pave new ways forward in information technology? How can devices, protocols and materials be made to be more energy-efficient? To give answers to these fundamentally important questions, we study a broad range of materials and properties, from single molecular systems to bottom-up rich aggregates, from basic materials characteristics via novel concepts to relevant application principles in data handling and communication technology. In this way, we cover the entire chain of natural science based technology: from basic research to applications based on the results of these fundamental investigations. Located in the region where several different disciplines overlap, primarily physics, chemistry, materials science and biology, and taking advantage of different approaches in modeling, simulation and experimental investigation, we exploit powerful instruments to explore novel complex, mostly bioinspired, supramolecular materials and processes from their unimolecular scale constituents up to large scale networks.

The novel materials at the focus of our research offer a broad variety of possibilities for future applications in different fields, such as creating an information technology going beyond conventional silicon-based principles. Carbon based nanostructures (e.g.  fullerenes, nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons) possess unique electronic and structural properties which rapidly made them the target of several possible applications after their recent discovery. The implementation of nanostructured components as active elements in electronic circuits is thus an extremely promising field of interest. Modeling here plays a very important role since we are for the first time achieving the ability to simulate up to several thousands of atoms using tools at various levels of precision ranging from classical models to quantum mechanical ab initio methods. Learning from nature is our mission in the fields of bioelectronics and biomimetics, which exploit the unique self assembling and self-recognition properties of biomolecules. Among others, the molecule of life, DNA, which is essential due to its function as carrier of the genetic code, has recently attracted the attention of researchers worldwide as many promising potential applications are expected for DNA based nanotechnology. For example, such molecular systems can be used as templates in molecular electronics circuits or as molecular wires to connect functional units in novel nanoelectronic circuits. The way in which nature creates materials with desired properties – bones, teeth, skin, wood, etc. – demonstrates an incredible smartness. Following the principles of natural biomineralisation, for example, leads to the development of artificial, bioinspired aggregates with fascinating characteristics. Not only can one learn from nature how to create new materials, but also the natural methods of information processing offers a giant source of inspiration for scientists. Using single bio- or aromatic molecules as active elements in electronic circuits, and, in addition, utilizing unconventional techniques of processing information  and handling data, can lead to the development of applications taking advantage of these functionalized molecular units as switches, diodes, and transistors in ultra-miniaturized atomic-scale electronic circuits. Above all, a fundamental understanding of fascinating new quantum phenomena can be expected which in turn can lead to an improvement of both material properties and process handling.

Snapshot of the Molecular Dynamics trajectory of a DNA oligomer in a solvent

Future prospects and goals

Developing ultralight bioinspired materials, the construction and properties of which are controlled from the nanoscale range all the way up through to the macroscopic level leading to the desired structure-property relations, our work offers a huge potential for the future of science, engineering and technology. Tackling the challenges of the 21^st century represented by the continuous progress of demanding technologies, our research in the exciting field of bioinspired nanotechnology contributes to paving the route for future applications with a highly relevant impact on research, technology and society,  ultimately realizing  Blaise Pascal’s 350 year old vision of exploring and using different universes – from the infinitely small constituents of materials to our everyday experience of technology in the visible world.

About

1997-1998: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Università di Genova, Genova, Italy 2098-2002: Guest scientist, Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany (since 2001 as a Schloeßmann fellow) 2003-2008: Head of the VW-Foundation independent research group “Molecular Computing”, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Regensburg, Germany. since 2007: Chair “Materials Science and Nanotechnology” (full professor, W3), Dresden University of Technology, Germany.

Selected publications

M. W. Shinwari, M. J. Deen, E. B. Starikov, and G. Cuniberti, Electrical conductance in biological molecules, Advanced Functional Materials 20, 1865 (2010).

R. Gutierrez, R. Caetano, P. B. Woiczikowski, T. Kubar, M. Elstner, and G. Cuniberti, Charge transport through bio-molecular wires in a solvent: Bridging molecular dynamics and model Hamiltonian approaches, Physical Review Letters 102, 208102 (2009).

E. Shapir, H. Cohen, A. Calzolari, C. Cavazzoni, D. A. Ryndyk, G. Cuniberti, A. Kotlyar, R. Di Felice, and D. Porath, Electronic structure of single DNA molecules resolved by transverse scanning tunneling spectroscopy, Nature Materials 7, 68 (2008).

M. del Valle, R. Gutiérrez, C. Tejedor, and G. Cuniberti, Tuning the conductance of a molecular switch, Nature Nanotechnology 2, 176 (2007)

G. Cuniberti, G. Fagas, and K. Richter (Eds.), Introducing Molecular Electronics (book), Lecture Notes in Physics 680 (Springer, Berlin and Heidelberg (2005).

D. Porath, G. Cuniberti, and R. Di Felice, Charge transport in DNA-based devices (invited review), Topics in Current Chemistry 237, 183 (2004).

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