Measuring Molecular Structure at the Active Interface in Functioning Organic Field Effect Transistors via Vibrational Sum Frequency Generation

技术：本项目使用界面选择振动和频产生光谱，这是一种非线性光学技术，用于研究有机场效应管中分子振动及其在有源界面的取向。该项目的目的是在设备运行之前和期间表征界面，以深入了解界面分子结构和功能之间的关系。它的目的不仅是提高对设备开发和测试所在的材料科学和工程领域的理解水平，而且还通过规定需要嵌入下一代分子以实现高效材料性能的特征来提高分子设计和合成的水平。在有机场效应晶体管激活过程中进行的现场实验将提供一个新的视角，从功能器件内部对材料的响应进行研究，不仅有可能描述什么变化，而且有可能描述变化的时间尺度以及这些特性如何与宏观电响应相关联。非技术性：该项目解决了材料科学中具有高度技术相关性的主题领域的基础研究问题。该项目的跨学科性质为本科生和研究生创造了一个培训环境，他们不仅熟练地掌握材料加工，而且还熟练掌握电学和光谱技术。国际和平协会和他的研究小组积极参与外联活动。例如，PI是第一届乐高联盟气候变化概念的积极推荐者。这些外展活动不仅寻求灌输对科学的总体兴奋，而且还将参与者观察到的材料特性与他们熟悉的现实世界技术(如塑料容器和手机)联系起来。

Technical: This project uses interface-selective vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy, a nonlinear optics technique, to study molecular vibrations and their orientations at the active interface in organic field-effect transistors. The object of the project is to characterize the interface prior to and during device operation to gain insight into the relationships between interfacial molecular structure and function. It aims to advance the level of understanding not only in the fields of materials science and engineering where the devices are developed and tested, but also at the level of molecular design and synthesis by prescribing the features that need to be built into next generation molecules for efficient materials performance. The in-situ nature of experiments performed during organic field-effect transistor activation will provide a new perspective on the materials response from inside the functioning device, with the potential to describe not only what changes, but also what the timescales of change are and how these properties relate back to the macroscopic electrical response.Non-technical: The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of materials science with high technological relevance. The interdisciplinary nature of this project creates a training environment for undergraduate and graduate students, who are skilled in not only materials processing, but also electrical and spectroscopic techniques. The PI and his research team are actively involved in outreach activities. The PI, for example, is an active presenter on concepts of climate change for the FIRST LEGO League. These outreach activities not only seek to instill excitement about science in general, but to also make connections between the materials properties observed by the participants and the real-world technologies they are familiar with, such as plastic containers and cell phones.