RUI: Development of Organic and Biological Films on Vapor-deposited Metal Nanostructures

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Professor Donald Perry of the University of Central Arkansas is supported by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, Nanochemistry (MSN) Program in the Division of Chemistry to investigate the layer by layer growth of films of small organic molecules on silver and gold nanostructures. The metal will be evaporated on salt plates and films will be grown with the substrate at different incident angles to the metal evaporation source. The polar properties of the deposition solvents and other growth conditions will be judiciously varied to control the orientations, intermolecular interactions, and degree of ionization of the organic molecules within the molecular layers on the metal nanostructures. The resulting metal nanostructures will be characterized with surface analytical microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, and will be investigated for their enhancement of the spectra in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA). The research will contribute to the knowledge base in metal nanoparticle interactions with organic matter, organisms and the environment, and will impact the fabrication of organic and biochemical layers of specific architectures on nanoscale silver and gold surfaces with applications in areas such as catalysis, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. The research will also impact the career of undergraduate students by introducing them to many aspects of nanomaterials that are not typically discussed within traditional class rooms. Furthermore, the involvement of undergraduates in research will motivate students to choose careers in scientific fields in Arkansas where only 18% of the population has a four-year college degree.