Understanding the Evolution of the Electronic Properties of MEH-PPV Oligomers from Single Molecules to Aggregates

在这个由化学部实验物理化学项目资助的奖项中，来自卡内基梅隆大学的Linda Peteanu教授和她的研究生同事将研究一类重要的共轭聚合物材料MEH-PPV的电子特性。这些荧光共轭聚合物材料在许多电子器件中都很重要，并在许多技术应用中显示出前景。Peteanu教授和她的团队与许多合作者合作，将带来许多强大的工具-包括与David Yaron（卡内基-梅隆大学）的电子结构计算，与Ted Heilweil （NIST-Gaithersburg）的太赫兹吸收光谱测量，与Stephanie Tristram-Nagle（卡内基-梅隆大学）的x射线散射，以及在她自己的实验室中使用的一些微观和光谱方法-来研究这些材料中发生的基本物理过程。这些研究的最终目标是更好地理解这些材料中发生的微观物理和化学过程，并着眼于开发性能更好的材料。有机电子材料在许多电子和光物理应用方面显示出巨大的前景，包括平板屏幕显示、有机晶体管和光电池。对这些材料中发生的基本光物理学的更好理解将可能导致这些不同器件的材料得到改进。提供这种更好的理解是在该奖项资助的研究中进行的研究的主要目标之一。除了这些改进的材料将产生更广泛的社会影响外，在这个项目中接受培训的学生将广泛地接受包括材料科学、物理和化学在内的许多学科的教育。

In this award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Linda Peteanu from Carnegie-Mellon University and her graduate student colleagues will investigate the electronic properties of an important class of conjugated polymeric materials -- MEH-PPV. These fluorescent conjugated polymeric materials are important in a number of electronic devices, and show promise in a number of technological applications. Prof. Peteanu and her group, working with a number of collaborators will bring to bear a number of powerful tools -- including electronic structure calculations with David Yaron (Carnegie -Mellon), THz absorption spectroscopy measurements with Ted Heilweil (NIST-Gaithersburg), X-ray scattering with Stephanie Tristram-Nagle (Carnegie-Mellon), and a number of microscopic and spectroscopic methods in her own lab -- to study the fundamental physical processes occurring in these materials. The ultimate goal of these studies is to develop a better understanding of the microscopic physical and chemical processes occurring in these materials, with an eye towards developing materials with improved properties.Organic electronic materials show great promise for a number of electronic and photo-physical applications including flat-screen displays, organic transistors, and photocells. An improved understanding of the fundamental photophysics taking place in these materials will likely lead to improved materials for these various devices. Providing this improved understanding is one of the main goals of the research carried out in studies like the one funded in this award. In addition to the broader societal impact that these improved materials will have, the students trained in this project will be broadly educated in a number of disciplines including materials science, physics and chemistry.