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Research in our group focuses on three major themes: (1) Understanding interactions in nanoparticle-liquid crystal dispersions, (2) Synthesis, self-assembly and properties of anisometric nanomaterials, and (3) Nanomaterials for biological and medical applications (incl. cell-specific uptake and brain drug delivery). All research areas are highly multidisciplinary and collaborative. Students and postdocs working on these themes develop skills in organic as well as nanomaterial synthesis, a wide range of materials characterization techniques, and to some degree soft matter physics, pharmacology, biological sciences as well as medical research. We have key collaborations with experts in their respective fields in place, which is critical when tackling multidisciplinary research targets.

Recent Publications

• T. Hegmann et al., Liq. Cryst. 2015, in press. “Chemically and thermally stable, emissive carbon dots as viable alternatives to semiconductor quantum dots for emissive nematic liquid crystal–nanoparticle mixtures with lower threshold voltage”

• T. Hegmann et al., J. Mater. Chem. B 2015, 3, 6877. “Aqueous synthesis of polyhedral “brick-like” iron oxide nanoparticles for hyperthermia and T2 MRI contrast enhancement”

• T. Hegmann, W. Haase et al., RSC Advances 2015, 5, 34491. “Electro-optic and dielectric properties of a ferroelectric liquid crystal doped with chemically and thermally stable, emissive carbon dots”

• T. Hegmann et al., Adv. Funct. Mater. 2015, 25, 1180. “Discotic liquid crystal functionalized gold nanorods: 2- and 3D self-assembly plus macroscopic alignment and increased charge carrier mobility in hexagonal columnar liquid crystal hosts affected by molecular packing and π-π interactions”.

• T. Hegmann et al., ACS Nano 2014, 8, 11966. “Detecting, visualizing, and measuring gold nanoparticle chirality using helical pitch measurements in nematic liquid crystal phases” 

• T. Hegmann, D. W. Miller et al., Int. J. Nanomed. 2014, 9, 3013. "Magnetic field enhanced convective diffusion of iron oxide nanoparticles in an osmotically disrupted cell culture model of the blood-brain barrier"

• T. Hegmann, W. Haase et al., Chem. Phys. Lett. 2014, 599, 80. “Influence of different amount of functionalized bulky gold nanorods dopant on the electrooptical, dielectric and optical properties of the FLC host”

• T. Hegmann, H.-S. Kitzerow et al., ChemPhysChem 2014, 15, 1395. “Nanoparticle doping in nematic liquid crystals: Distinction between surface and bulk effects by numerical simulations”

• H.-S. Kitzerow, T. Hegmann et al., ChemPhysChem 2014, 15, 1381. “Synthesis of liquid crystal silane functionalized gold nanoparticles and their effects on optical and electro-optic properties of a structurally related nematic liquid crystal”
• T. Hegmann et al., Part. Part. Syst. Charact. 2014, 31, 257. "Ink-jet printed nanoparticle alignment layers: Easy design and fabrication of patterned alignment layers for nematic liquid crystals"

• T. Hegmann et al., Langmuir 2013, 29, 10850. "One-pot synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles with functional silane shell: A versatile general precursor for conjugations and biomedical applications"