One branch of our research focuses on synthetic strategies, properties and potential applications of nanostructures. Such systems offer exciting opportunities: at sufficiently small length scales, the electro-optic behaviour of materials is strongly influenced by the wave nature of electrons, very much the same way that light exhibits diffraction when it interacts with small enough structures. We are particularly interested in current flow on the nanometer scale where effects such as confinement, delocalization and charging play important roles.