Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Molecular Conductors

化学系授予范德比尔特大学的这笔初学者奖金支持桑德拉·J·罗森塔尔教授的研究。这项研究的主题是发展时间分辨扫描隧道显微镜，用于研究新型光学和电子材料中的电荷迁移。正在研究的初始材料是由低聚硫吩衍生物组成的自组装单分子膜。合成了由不同数目的噻吩型单体组成的低聚物，它们形成有序单分子膜的能力程度取决于扫描探针显微镜所探索的链长。低聚硫吩类化合物是一种理想的分子传输线，用于展示未来时间分辨扫描隧道显微镜的皮秒时间分辨率和分子空间分辨率。这项研究是直接观察新材料结构和功能的长期研究计划的关键一步，为为特定设备应用设计新材料提供必要的信息。设计新型导电材料的能力有助于电子工业的进步。

This starter grant award of the Chemistry Division to Vanderbilt University supports the research of Professor Sandra J. Rosenthal. The theme of the research is the development of time-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy for the study of charge migration in novel optical and electronic materials. The initial material being studied is self-assembled monolayers composed of oligothiophene derivatives. Oligomers consisting of different numbers of the thiophene monomer are synthesized and the degree to which their ability to form ordered monolayers depends upon chain length explored with scanning probe microscopy. The oligothiophene systems are ideal candidates to be incorporated into a molecular transmission line to be used to demonstrate simultaneous picosecond time resolution and molecular spatial resolution of a time-resolved scanning tunneling microscope in the future. The research is a crucial step in a long-term research program for direct observation of both structure and function in novel materials, providing the information necessary to tailor new materials designed for specific device applications. The ability to design new conducting materials contributes to advances in the electronics industry.