Chemical Physics

The group's research interests focus 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. If you would like to know more, please do not hesitate to contact us!

William H. Pitchford, Hyung-Jun Kim, Aleksandar P. Ivanov, Hyun-Mi Kim, Jae-Seok Yu, Robin J. Leatherbarrow, Tim Albrecht,, Ki-Bum Kim, and Joshua B. Edel, Synchronized Optical and Electronic Detection of Biomolecules Using a Low Noise Nanopore Platform, ACS Nano Japrung D, Bahrami A, Nadzeyka A, Peto L, Bauerdick S, Edel JB, Albrecht T, SSB Binding to Single-stranded DNA Probed Using Solid-state Nanopore Sensors, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B Michael S. Inkpen, Andrew J. P. White, Tim Albrecht and Nicholas J. Long, Avoiding problem reactions at the ferrocenyl-alkyne motif: a convenient synthesis of model, redox-active complexes for molecular electronics, Dalton Trans. Ivanov AP, Freedman KJ, Kim M, Albrecht T, Edel JB, 2014, High Precision Fabrication and Positioning of Nanoelectrodes in a Nanopore, ACS Nano Gibb TR, Ivanov AP, Edel JB, Albrecht T, 2013, Single Molecule Ionic Current Sensing in Segmented Flow Microfluidics, Analytical Chemistry, Vol: 86, ISSN: 0003-2700 , Pages:1864–1871 Inkpen MS, White AJ, Albrecht T, et al., 2013, Rapid Sonogashira cross-coupling of iodoferrocenes and the unexpected cyclo-oligomerization of 4-ethynylphenylthioacetate., Chemical Communications, Vol:49, ISSN:1359-7345, Pages:5663-5665 Japrung D, Dogan J, Freedman KJ, et al., 2013, Single-Molecule Studies of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Using Solid-State Nanopores, Analytical Chemistry, Vol:85, ISSN:0003-2700, Pages: 2449-2456 Rutkowska A, Edel JB, Albrecht T, 2013, Mapping the Ion Current Distribution in Nanopore/Electrode Devices,ACS Nano, Vol:7, ISSN:1936-0851, Pages:547-555 Inkpen MS, Du S, Driver M, et al., 2013, Oxidative purification of halogenated ferrocenes, Dalton Transactions, Vol:42, ISSN:1477-9226, Pages:2813-2816 Bahrami A, Dogan F, Japrung D, et al., 2012, Solid-state nanopores for biosensing with submolecular resolution, Biochemical Society Transactions, Vol:40, ISSN:0300-5127, Pages:624-628 Albrecht T, 2012, Electrochemical tunnelling sensors and their potential applications, Nature Communications, Vol:3, ISSN:2041-1723, Pages:829-829

Inkpen MS, Albrecht T, 2012, Probing Electron Transport in Proteins at Room Temperature with Single-Molecule Precision, ACS Nano, Vol:6, ISSN:1936-0851, Pages:13-16