CAREER: The Nature of Excitations in Dendrimers and Educational Development of the Physical Properties of Macromolecules

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This CAREER award involves ultra fast spectroscopic investigations of dendrimers. Initially, femtosecond time-resolved measurements will be carried out with an upconversion setup on both homogeneous and inhomogeneous dendrimer systems in order to investigate the coherent nature of the excitations. The long radiative lifetimes of several of the novel dendrimer systems will also be measured by time-correlated single-photon counting measurements. These initial studies will also determine superior candidates for other light emitting applications as well. In the second stage of the anisotropy measurements in order to probe the fast kinetics of the energy migration process in organic dendrimers. In order to measure the homogeneous line-width more quantitatively as well as the dephasing dynamics in the dendrimer systems that possess strong interactions, he will carry out three pulse photon echo experiments. With this information quantitative comparisons to various excitonic theoretical predictions can be carried out. This research will help answer an important question that not only concerns organic dendrimers, but also concerns excitations in any branched (fractal) molecular geometry. The question, how do we describe the coherent nature of strongly interacting branched chromophores, will have a significant impact on the materials science, photo-physics, and technological communities.%%%The CAREER educational plan is focused on the physics and characterization of macromolecules. The first component is to expose undergraduate students to the real world of research and developments in industry that is concerned with the physical properties of macromolecules. Secondly, the PI will integrate these programs into larger group interactions. This will include both undergraduate and younger high school students in the Detroit Metro public school district, an area that has been underrepresented in science in the past. This will be done in conjunction with ongoing programs that the PI is involved with including the ACS-project SEED program. The third component to the CAREER educational plan is to enhance the instructional aspects of the physical chemistry lecture and laboratory courses by including more instruction and experimental understanding of macromolecules.