Speaker Profiles

Tim Albrecht

The Albrecht research group focuses on electrochemical processes on the nanoscale. This includes ion and polyelectrolyte translocation through ultra-small nanopores in solid state membranes, but also charge transport across individual molecules, such as inorganic transition metal complexes, nanoparticles, or biomolecules (molecular electronics). The key here is to "wire" a single molecule to two electrodes in a nanometre-size tunnelling junction and then study its charge transport characteristics. We mainly employ electrochemical scanning tunnelling microscopy (ECSTM), which combines ultimate spatial resolution (atoms!) with the detection of ultra-low currents (~ pA), and can be used in various electrochemical environments, including aqueous electrolytes and ionic liquids. Other techniques are chip-based nanoelectrodes, which are fabricated using state-of-the-art semiconductor processing tools. We are interested in both fundamental and applied aspects of single-molecular electron transport. How does the immediate environment of a molecule influence its electron transport properties? Can one use such a configuration as device components in nanoscale electronic circuitry? Is it possible to use such a concept in innovative sensor applications? This is a highly active, but challenging area of research, which benefits from an interdisciplinary approach and strong collaborative links to other research groups in chemical synthesis, engineering, semiconductor physics and charge transport theory.

 

We would like to thank the RSC for sponsoring Tim Albrecht.