Soft Nanotechnology – from Colloid Physics to Nanostructured Functional Materials

We demonstrate how we can tune the size, shape, surface functionality and properties of nanoparticles and use them as ideal model systems for fundamental investigations as well as for materials applications. In particular we describe ways to create functionalized core-shell particles with various degree of anisotropy and interesting magnetic properties. We show how we can use these particles in order to study the equilibrium and non-equilibrium phase behavior of colloidal suspensions with different interaction potentials and summarize our current understanding of the phenomenon of dynamical arrest, i.e. gel and glass formation. While different nanoparticles are vital for fundamental studies of various aspects of soft condensed matter, they also offer fascinating possibilities in materials science. We will demonstrate this with the example of nanocomposites made through an in situ polymerization reaction.