The goal of the proposed work is the preparation of inorganic-organic composite nanomaterials with tailored optical and electrical and properties. The preparative work is strongly guided by the simulations of the optical response of model systems. The key objective of the proposal is to prepare metamaterials, which exhibit a negative index of refraction. Such materials provide a number of important advantages in optics, such as the fabrication of perfect lenses. A promising concept for the elaboration of metamaterials is the use of periodic structures with periods considerably shorter than the wavelength of the operating electromagnetic radiation. Metamaterials are known for the microwave and infrared regime of the electromagnetic spectrum, for which the necessary structuring of matter can be obtained by a top-down approach. Extension towards the visible region requires structuring at dimensions that are beyond the practical limits of the top-down approach. In order to overcome this problem, we propose to use a new bottom-up strategy for the preparation of metamaterials operating in the visible, which involves the organization of metal particles by incorporating them in liquid-crystalline matrices. For this, mesomorphic dendrimers are attached to metal particles via metal-sulfur bonds. The resulting inorganic-organic macromolecules are intended to assemble into liquid-crystalline phases, thus forming periodic metallic structures within an organic matrix.
The highly interdisciplinary project at the interface between synthetic chemistry, chemical physics, material science and optics requires a joint effort and a close collaboration of researchers in these fields, in order to design and understand liquid-crystalline materials with the desired optical and electrical properties.