Project C4: Lanthanide-based Fluorescence Phenomena in Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Nanoparticles

DFG Research Areas: Condensed Matter Physics, Optics, Quantum Optics, Molecular Chemistry, Chemical Solid State and Surface Research

This project aims at sensing and lasing based on lanthanide-containing nanomaterials. Besides the focus on luminescence phenomena of novel nanosized compounds, their functionality under aqueous conditions is a particular challenge. Although lanthanide (Ln) ions have interesting features such as their characteristic line-type emission, they often have the restriction of a totally quenched luminescence in the presence of humidity. Here, we will use inorganic-organic hybrid nanoparticles (IOH-NPs) that consist of an inorganic Ln cation and an organic carboxylate-functionalized dye anion [(RDye(COO)n)]n-. The objectives of the project comprise the material synthesis as well as the biological and physical functionality. The project will combine expertise from inorganic chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, and experimental physics and intends to merge new materials with sensing features for biology and lasing devices. 

Project leaders: 
Prof. Dr. Claus Feldmann (KIT) 
Prof. Dr. Lena Daumann (HHU) 
Prof. Dr. David Hunger (KIT)