NER: Self-Assembled Nanostructures with Macroscopic Polar Order and Directed Paths of Conjugation

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This Nanoscale Exploratory Research (NER) project aims to design, synthesize, and assemble organic molecules. Two specific areas will be addressed. Firstly, by creating new types of molecules (for example that form discotic liquid crystals) with specific noncovalent interactions, a scheme for interfacing self-assembled, organic conductors with gold surfaces will be achieved. Secondly, these interconnections will serve to orient dipolar columns assembled on surfaces creating macroscopic polar order, which is a prerequisite for creating nanodevices for ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric applications.%%%A major goal of nanotechnology is the creation of molecular systems such as one dimensional conductors from discotic liquid crystals that can serve as a springboard for multidisciplinary research aimed at developing nanoscale devices. The types of devices to be explored include piezoelectric, ferroelectric, pyroelectric, and nonlinear optical. Students trained in these areas will be compete well for academic and industrial jobs.