CAREER: Conjugated Systems Displaying Tunable Energy Transfer: Fundamental Principles and Applications

在化学系和NSF EPSCoR办公室的有机和高分子化学项目的支持下，路易斯安那州立大学和农业与机械学院化学系的内斯特罗夫教授将探索一个旨在合成模板聚合物的项目，该项目允许研究三维能量转移和开发新的化学传感方法。这个想法是使用刚性棒状共轭低聚物，其一端覆盖着发色团，发色团包含结合分析物所需的官能团。这些传感材料的成功是基于这样一个事实，即当分析物结合时，激子从聚合物到发色团的迁移将受到影响，反之亦然。该方案的第二个目标是合成可用于传感应用的具有内腔的交联型三维共轭聚合物网络。这一研究结果将加深对能量传递的基本认识，并为控制和利用这一现象提供新的途径。在化学系有机动力学项目的支持下，内斯特罗夫教授将致力于将新的方法、理论和应用结合在一起的研究，并创建一个将吸引所有水平和背景的学生的跨学科项目。计划向公众展示基础材料科学的应用，并向中小学推广。这些示范对于农村地区的学生和在科学领域代表性不足的学生来说至关重要，他们才能真正感受到科学是一条可行的职业道路。

With the support of the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program in the Chemistry Division and the NSF EPSCoR Office, Professor Nesterov, of the Chemistry Department at Louisiana State University & Agricultural and Mechanical College, will explore a project designed to synthesize templated polymers that allow the study of 3-dimensional energy transfer and the development of new chemical sensing methods. The idea is to use rigid rod-like conjugated oligomers that have one end capped with a chromaphore, which contains necessary functionality for binding of an analyte. The success of these sensory materials is based on the fact that the exciton migration will be affected from polymer to the chromophore and vice versa upon binding of the analyte. The second goal of the proposal is to synthesize cross-linked three-dimensional conjugated polymeric networks with internal cavities that can be utilized for the sensing applications. The results of this research will enhance fundamental understanding of energy transfer and provide new ways to control and use this phenomenon. With the support of the Organic Dynamics Program in the Chemistry Division, Professor Nesterov will pursue research that brings together new methodology, theory, and applications, and create an interdisciplinary program that will attract students of all levels and backgrounds. Demonstrations of basic materials science applications for the public and outreach to elementary and middle schools are planned. These demonstrations are crucial for students in rural areas and students who are underrepresented in science to really feel that science is a viable career pathway.