Organic Electrochemistry

这个项目是在分析化学和表面化学的一般领域，在有机电化学的子领域。这一创新实验项目的广泛推力包括新的大分子、分子阵列、低聚物和聚合物的合成和表征。这些新材料在分子电子器件、新的电催化表面和理解膜电化学过程的模型方面有着令人兴奋的前景。这些新分子体系的性质将被重点关注，包括：(a)多烯丙二酮和噻吩低聚物的“分子线”的单分子电子导电性；(b)适当还原的聚烯丙二酮和分子阵列和导电聚合物的总体电导率；(c)聚烯丙二酮和噻吩低聚物在溶液和有组织阵列中的电子结构；(d)聚苊烯醌阴离子的近红外和红外电子激发；(e)溶液中作为电极的导电聚合物薄膜的力学性能。伏安、表面力微平衡、Langmuir-Blodgett和四点探针技术将用于表征这些系统中的电子转移和电导率。电子和磁共振波谱将被用作分子和电子结构的探针。米勒教授将根据需要与明尼苏达大学、内布拉斯加大学和加州大学河滨分校的化学和化学工程同事合作，为这一广泛的多学科活动提供专业知识，为开发具有定制电子、结构、还有机械性能。

This project is in the general area of analytical and surface chemistry and in the subfield of organic electrochemistry. The broad thrust of this innovative experimental program includes the synthesis and characterization of new macromolecules, molecular arrays, oligomers, and polymers. These new materials hold exciting promise for potential use in molecular electronics devices, as new electrocatalytic surfaces, and as models for understanding membrane electrochemical processes. The properties of these new molecular systems that will be focussed upon include: (a) the single molecule electronic conductivity of "molecular wires" of polyacenequinones and thiophene oligomers; (b) the bulk electrical conductivity of appropriately reduced polyacenequinones and of molecular arrays and conducting polymers; (c) the electronic structures of polyacenequinones and thiophene oligomers in solution and in organized arrays; (d) the near-infrared and infrared electronic excitations of polyacenequinone anions; and (e) the mechanical properties of conducting polymer films used as electrodes in solution. Voltammertic, surface force microbalance, Langmuir-Blodgett, and four-point probe techniques will be used to characterize electron transfer and conductivity in these systems. Electronic and magnetic resonance spectroscopies will be used as probes of molecular and electronic structure. Professor Miller will collaborate with chemistry and chemical engineering colleagues at the University of Minnesota, the University of Nebraska, and the University of California at Riverside as needed to provide expertise for this broad, multidisciplinary activity that offers exciting possibilities for the development of new materials with tailored electronic, structural, and mechanical properties.