Molecular Photonic Materials

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This renewal award to Gerald J. Meyer at Johns Hopkins University is jointly supported by the Advanced Materials Program in the Chemistry Division and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The focus of the research is charge separation at semiconductor interfaces. Specifically, organometallic charge-transfer complexes will be anchored to mesoporous titania and zirconia colloidal films prepared by sol-gel techniques and the photochemistry and photophysics of charge and electron transfer between the sensitizer and the semiconductor will be probed. Studies of molecular precursors, colloids, gels, and nanocrystalline films will allow the supramolecular nature of extended solids to be explored at the molecular level. In situ time resolved spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques will be used to quantify electron transfer dynamics and energetics. This research will provide insights into the fates of molecular excited states at semiconductor and insulator derived interfaces and will allow a wide variety of novel materials to be systematically prepared. Applications of the research exist in solar energy conversion, chemical sensing, environmental detoxification, memory storage, catalysis and electro-optical switches.