CAREER: Femtosecond Fluoresence Upconversion Studies of Charge Transfer Reactions in Nanocrystal-Based Photovoltaics

范德比尔特大学的Sandra Rosenthal博士的职业生涯奖得到了化学部先进材料计划的支持。该研究的重点是基于纳米晶体的光伏系统中电荷转移反应的飞秒荧光研究，其目标是利用半导体纳米晶体中的量子限制来创建高速和高效的光电子学。具体目的是确定和控制半导体纳米晶体中光生电子-空穴对的命运，确定C60到C60电子转移的速率和机制，确定C60到聚合物空穴转移的速率和机制，以及确定基于C60/C60/聚合物的光致发光材料的理想尺寸。要解决的基本问题将是表征半导体表面的原子水平和表面态密度在载流子弛豫和电荷转移，超快光谱的电荷转移系统中，量子限制的半导体作为一个供体，和电子转移在电活性聚合物中发挥的作用。这项研究可能会影响并导致商业上可行的光伏和光电器件。除了让本科生参与上述研究外，CAREER奖的教学部分将通过建立综合分析物理化学实验室和强调使用先进光谱和表面显微镜仪器的课程，促进化学系本科生的广泛参与。

This CAREER award to Dr. Sandra Rosenthal at Vanderbilt University is supported by the Advanced Materials Program in the Chemistry Division. The focus of the research is femtosecond fluorescence studies of charge transfer reactions in nanocrystal-based photovoltaic systems with the goal of exploiting quantum confinement in semiconducting nanocrystals to create high speed and efficiency photovoltaics. Specific ojectives are to determine and control the fate of photocreated electron-hole pairs in semiconducting nanocrystals, to determine the rate and mechanism of nanocrystal to C60 electron transfer, to determine the rate and mechanism of nanocrystal to polymer hole transfer, and to determine the ideal nanocrystal size for nanocrystal/C60/polymer-based photovoltaics. Fundamental issues to be addressed will be characterization of semiconductor nanocrystal surfaces at the atomic level and the role surface density of states plays in carrier relaxation and charge-transfer, ultrafast spectroscopy of charge-transfer in systems where a quantum confined semiconductor serves as a donor, and electron transfer in electroactive polymers. This research could impact and lead to commercially viable photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices.Apart from involving undergraduates in the above research, the teaching component of the CAREER award will facilitate involvement of undergraduates in the Chemistry Department broadly through the establishment of integrated Analytical-Physical Chemistry labs and courses emphasizing use of advanced spectroscopic and surface microscopy instrumentation .