Molecular Photonic Materials

约翰斯·霍普金斯大学的杰拉尔德·迈耶因其设计分子材料将可见光转化为势能并将其长期储存的研究而得到化学系的支持。迈耶教授将利用稳态和时间分辨的电化学和光谱技术来表征金属到配体电荷转移(MLCT)激发Fe(II)配位化合物后发生的事件，这些配位化合物整合并空间排列在溶胶-凝胶处理的薄膜材料中，包括宽禁带半导体二氧化钛或绝缘体二氧化锆。具体地说，他的目标是阐明配位场(d-d)激发态在非辐射衰变和光化学配体丢失中所起的作用。与Fe(II)化合物在生物、化学和材料科学中日益广泛的应用有关的重要的基本机制问题将被系统地研究。寻找能够有效地将光转化为能量的材料是一个重要的长期研究目标。这项研究将探索分子水平的过程，这些过程历来限制了铁化合物在能源转换应用中的用途。这项研究将有助于我们从根本上理解半导体和绝缘体界面上发生的分子事件，以便我们能够以可预测的方式控制它们。研究生、本科生和博士后助理将在前沿无机材料化学项目中获得出色的培训和研究经验。

Gerald Meyer of Johns Hopkins University is supported by the Division of Chemistry for his research to design molecular materials that convert visible light into potential energy and store that energy for a long period of time. Prof. Meyer will utilize steady-state and time-resolved electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques to characterize events occurring after metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excitation of Fe(II) coordination compounds integrated and spatially arranged within sol-gel processed thin film materials, comprised of the wide band gap semiconductor TiO2 or the insulator ZrO2. Specifically he aims to elucidate the role ligand field (d-d) excited states play in non-radiative decay and photochemical ligand loss. Important fundamental mechanistic questions relevant to the growing applications of Fe(II) compounds in biology, chemistry, and materials science will be studied systematically. Identifying materials that efficiently convert light into energy is a significant long-term research goal. This research will probe molecular level processes that have historically limited the utility of iron compounds for energy conversion applications. The research will contribute to our fundamental understanding of molecular events occurring at semiconductor and insulator interfaces in order that we might control them in a predictable manner. Graduate students, undergraduate students and postdoctoral associates will receive excellent training and research experiences in a forefront inorganic materials chemistry program.