Optimising the electrochemical growth of 3D semiconductor and metal nanostructures.

The emergence of synthetic strategies and fabrication technologies that afford control over thearchitecture of matter at nanometre length scales has provided a new tool kit for engineeringfunctionality in materials. In particular, the three-dimensional (3D) nanostructuring of metals andsemiconductors has resulted in enhanced optical, magnetic and electronic properties yielding newdevices and device concepts1-2. A synthetically attractive route to their preparation iselectrochemical templating, which involves electrodeposition at the surface of an electrode aroundor through a pre-existing soft template. In particular, liquid crystal templating using lyotropicphases as soft templates has been shown to be an effective technique for the production of arange of nanostructured materials and is applicable to both electrochemical and chemical