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

技术概述：该奖项将扩大目前在聚合物方面的工作，包括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。基于这些聚合物纳米纤维的设备和传感器将被制造和测试。此外，纳米纤维结处的电荷传输，即。我们将研究两个纳米纤维重叠时形成的连接。任何聚合物的纳米纤维都有很大的表面积与体积比。由于它们具有较大的比表面积，因此有可能用于制造低功耗、超灵敏和快速响应的传感器。已经提出了一系列使用不同仪器的实验，这些仪器将有助于使用电纺聚合物纳米纤维和交叉聚合物纳米纤维的电子器件和传感器的完整表征。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，为学生提供可靠和直接的研究经验，将有助于他们的研究生院和找工作。非技术摘要：基于聚合物纳米纤维的设备和传感器将被制造和测试。由于纳米纤维具有很大的表面积，它们对环境非常敏感，因此可以非常迅速地检测到微量的气体。器件和传感器的小尺寸意味着相对较低的工作电压，因此具有低功耗的优势。此外，聚合物重量轻，制造灵活，成本低廉，因此该奖项具有经济优势。该奖项旨在帮助本科生达到激励他们进入研究生院的目标。其中一些实验将被修改为纳入课程课程，从而将研究与教育结合起来。最后，大多数受影响的学生是少数族裔学生，这项建议将加强他们在科学领域的参与。

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.