The use of templates for the synthesis of particles with precisely controlled size and shape was pioneered by researchers for Mobil Oil in the early 1990s and since that time explosive growth in the area of "templated synthesis" has been seen in the literature. The development of novel mesoporous silica materials by Mobil in 1992 demonstrated that it was possible to produce complex three-dimensional structures through the selection of suitable template materials. Various types of organic templates including surfactant self-assemblies, block copolymers and polymer lattices have been utilized to synthesize such mesoporous inorganic materials. These methods may also be used to control the morphology of nanoparticles and the available arsenal of techniques at the disposal of the modern researcher is formidable. The use of micelles and surfactants to control nucleation and growth of particles is well established and the possibility of growing particles with interesting, non-spherical structures such as nanorods and nanowires is an aim of this project. The work will involve the selection and characterisation of templates and the use of these templates for synthesis of metallic and semiconductor nanoparticles such as gold, silver, silica or titanium dioxide. Characterisation of the as-produced nanoparticles using electron microscopy and scattering techniques together with evaluation of their optical and electronic properties will be important. The scope of the project is broad and discussions to determine what systems are of interest would be held with interested students. For more information on undergraduate projects please email jason.riley@bristol.ac.uk