Light Emitting Polymeric Metal Complexes

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This award by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program supports research by Professor Cassandra L. Fraser at the University of Virginia to prepare and study light emitting metal complexes. Polymeric boron complexes, such as multi-emissive difluoroboron dibenzoylmethane polylactide, serve as the focus of the study. Effects of ligand modifications, polymer composition and molecular weight, solvent, and temperature on the intense fluorescence and the unusual oxygen sensitive, room temperature phosphorescence will be investigated in detail. The boron biomaterials also possess two-photon absorption capabilities and are solvatochromic, serving as sensitive probes of the local medium. These features are important for emission color tuning and for biological imaging and oxygen sensing. Toward these ends, nanoparticle fabrication, emission, oxygen sensitivity, and degradation will also be investigated in aqueous suspensions. This research is interdisciplinary and collaborative. Graduate students interact with numerous scientists and engineers, industry, and the UVA Patent Foundation to address scientific questions and to pursue materials applications. This project presents opportunities to share the excitement of science with broader audiences through the Designing Matter writing projec and a new advanced course at the University of Virginia on metals in medicine and the environment.