Ultrafast Molecular Optical Switches: Design, Preparation, and Function

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This award is recommended by the Advanced Materials Program in the Chemistry Division in support of the research of Dr. Michael Wasielewski at Northwestern University. The theme of the research is the design, synthesis and function of ultrafast molecular switches based on ultrafast optical gating of electron transfer in extended arrays of organic and organometallic donor-acceptor molecules. These switches will make use of high quantum yield and picosecond electron transfer processes to control the movement of electrons within the molecules. Three approaches to a molecular switch will be explored; first, the use of photogenerated electric fields to control electron transfer rates, second, the use of two sequential light pulses to generate radical anions or cations and then transfer them to an adjacent acceptor or donor, and third, excitation of bridging chromophores to control the lifetimes of photogenerated charge-separated states. The successful development of of new molecule-sized electronics promises to yield dramatic improvements in component density, response speed and energy efficiency. The impact of the research is broad and includes potential applications such as information storage, solar energy conversion and optical signal processing.