RUI:Conducting, Semiconducting and Ferroelectric Polymer Nanofibers for Electronic Device Fabrication: Motivating Undergraduate Students to pursue Higher Education

技术总结：这笔赠款将扩大对导电和半导体聚合物的研究，并包括铁电聚合物和金属陶瓷氧化物。一种名为静电纺丝的简单技术将被用来制备导电/半导体/铁电聚合物和金属氧化物的纳米纤维，并将它们用作制造器件和传感器的活性材料。由于纳米纤维尺寸小，具有较大的比表面积和体积比，因此有可能用于制造低功耗器件和超灵敏和快速响应传感器。同时具有半导体和铁电特性的单个纳米纤维本质上是多功能的，将用于非易失性存储场效应晶体管。这一提议的智能优点还包括找到新的方法来组合这些具有非常不同的电子、机械和光学特性的材料，然后以具有大纵横比甚至更大表面积比的纳米纤维的形式使用它们来制造和测试设备和传感器。利用电纺聚合物和金属氧化物纳米纤维和薄膜，以及研究交叉聚合物纳米纤维中的电荷传输，已经提出了一系列实验。通过静电纺丝制备聚合物纳米纤维的方法是独一无二的，不同于其他通常使用模板或其他复杂方法的研究。建议的研究包括聚合物科学、陶瓷、物理、纳米科学和电子学，并且是多学科的，给学生提供可靠和直接的研究经验，这将有助于他们的研究生院和找工作。非技术总结：这项研究将使本科生接触到科学和工程的各个分支。拟议中的实验在本科生的智力掌握范围内。所有学生都将接受科学方法培训，并将通过为他们提供参与科学研究的真正机会，激励他们攻读科学和工程方面的研究生课程。在拟议研究的基础上改进的实验计划纳入国际和平研究所在过去八年中教授的中级实验室课程，从而将研究和教育结合起来。本提案所要求的手段将加强机构基础设施，加强教员合作，并对改善该岛东南部地区的研究设施产生更广泛的影响。将及时公布新的成果，并保持最新的网页，从而扩大这项提案的成果的传播。位于胡马考的波多黎各大学是一所为少数族裔服务的机构。因此，这项建议将增加参与科学研究和在科学和工程领域任职人数不足的本科生人数。

TECHNICAL SUMMMARY:This grant will expand research on conducting and semiconducting polymers and to include ferroelectric polymers and ceramic metal oxides. A simple technique called electrospinning will be used to prepare nanofibers of conducting/semiconducting/ferroelectric polymers and metal oxides and to use them as the active material in the fabrication of devices and sensors. Due to their small dimensions, nanofibers have a large surface to volume ratio and hence they have the potential to be used in the fabrication of low power consumption devices and supersensitive and rapid response sensors. Individual nanofibers that possess both semiconducting and ferroelectric properties are inherently multifunctional and will be used in non-volatile memory field effect transistors. The intellectual merit of this proposal also includes finding new ways of combining these materials that possess very different electronic, mechanical and optical properties, then using them in the form of nanofibers that have a large aspect ratio and even larger surface to volume ratio to fabricate and test devices and sensors. A range of experiments has been proposed using electrospun polymer and metal oxide nanofibers, and thin films and to study charge transport in crossed polymer nanofibers. The approach presented to making polymer nanofibers via electrospinning is unique and differs from the research of others who typically use templates or other complex methods. The proposed research includes polymer science, ceramics, physics, 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:This research will expose undergraduate students to various branches of science and engineering. The proposed experiments are within the intellectual grasp of undergraduate students. All of the students will be trained in the scientific method and will be motivated to pursue graduate studies in science and engineering by providing them with real opportunities to participate in scientific research. Modified experiments based on the proposed research are planned to be included into the Intermediate Laboratory course that the PI has taught for the last eight years, thereby integrating research and education. The instruments requested in this proposal will strengthen the institutional infrastructure, increase faculty collaboration and also have a broader impact of improving the research facilities in the southeastern region of the Island. New results will be published in a timely manner and an up-to-date web page will be maintained, thereby broadening the dissemination of results from this proposal. The University of Puerto Rico at Humacao is a minority serving institution. This proposal will therefore increase the number of undergraduate students that participate in scientific research and who are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering.