Hydrocarbon Chemistry
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Nanomaterials
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Nanomaterials

Nanochemistry is permitting a wide range of new phenomena such as photonic bandgap phenomena to be demonstrated and commercially exploited. Light harvesting dendrimeric materials have been developed which permit energy to be effi ciently collected over the electromagnetic- radiation spectrum from the ultraviolet to the infrared and converted to a single emission wavelength. This, in turn, can be used to amplify fi ber optic communication signals or to carry out chemistry analogous to the photochemistry of green plants. Block copolymers are being prepared and used to achieve a variety of new electrical and optical properties. However, research at the Loker Hydrocarbon Institute goes beyond simply applying nanostructure concepts for specifi c applications; rather, an effort is under way to develop systematic new approaches to the synthesis of a wide range of nano-architectures using novel synthetic methods.