RUI: Conducting Polymer Nanofibers for Device and Sensor Applications: Motivating undergraduate Students into Research in Materials Science

技术概要：该奖项将扩大目前在聚合物方面的工作，这需要通过静电纺丝或界面聚合技术制造导电和非导电聚合物纳米纤维。将制造和测试基于使用这些聚合物纳米纤维的设备和传感器。此外，还将研究双纳米结（即两个纳米纤维重叠时形成的结）处的电荷传输。任何聚合物的纳米纤维都具有大的表面体积比。由于其大的表面积，它们有可能用于制造低功耗，超灵敏和快速响应的传感器。已经提出了一系列的实验，使用不同的仪器，这将有助于在电子设备和传感器使用静电纺丝聚合物纳米纤维和交叉聚合物纳米纤维的完整表征。通过静电纺丝制造聚合物纳米纤维的方法是独特的，因为它不使用模板或其他繁琐的方法。该奖项涵盖聚合物科学、纳米科学和电子学，是多学科的，为学生提供了良好和直接的研究经验，这将有助于他们在研究生院和求职。非技术摘要：将制造和测试基于聚合物纳米纤维的设备和传感器。由于纳米纤维具有大的表面积，它们对环境非常敏感，因此可以非常快速地检测微量气体。设备和传感器的小尺寸意味着相对低的工作电压，因此具有低功耗的优点。此外，聚合物重量轻，柔韧性好，制造成本低，因此该奖项具有经济优势。该奖项旨在帮助本科生，激励他们进入研究生院。一些实验将被修改，以纳入课程，从而整合研究和教育。最后，受影响的学生大多数是少数民族学生，这项建议将加强他们在科学竞技场的参与。

TECHNICAL SUMMARY: This award will expand the current work on polymers, which entails the fabrication of conducting and non-conducting polymer nanofibers via electrospinning or by the interfacial polymerization technique. Devices and sensors based on the use of these polymer nanofibers will be fabricated and tested. In addition, charge transport at nanofiber junctions, viz. junctions formed when two nanofibers overlap will be studied. Nanofibers of any polymer have a large surface to volume ratio. Because of their large surface area, they have the potential to be used in the fabrication of low power, supersensitive and fast response sensors. A range of experiments have been proposed using different instruments that will help in the complete characterization of the electronic devices and sensors using electrospun polymer nanofibers and of crossed polymer nanofibers. The approach to making polymer nanofibers via electrospinning is unique as it does not use templates or other cumbersome methods. The award encompasses polymer science, nanoscience and electronics and is multidisciplinary giving students a sound and direct research experience that will help them in graduate school and in job searches.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Devices and sensors based on polymer nanofibers will be fabricated and tested. Since nanofibers have a large surface area they are very sensitive to the environment making it possible to detect minute amounts of gases very quickly. The small size of the devices and sensors imply comparatively low operating voltages and thus have the advantage of low power consumption. In addition, polymers are light weight, flexible and cheap to manufacture, hence this award has economic advantages. This award is directed at helping undergraduates with the goal of motivating them toward graduate school. Some of the experiments will be modified to be included into the course curriculum thereby integrating research and education. Finally, the majority of the students affected are minority students and this proposal will enhance their participation in the scientific arena.