CAREER: Investigating Protonic Semiconductivity in Polysaccharide Nanofibers with Field Effect Protonic Transistors

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This CAREER award is jointly funded by the Electronic and Photonic Materials Program (EPM) and Biomaterials Program (BMAT), both in the Division of Materials Research.Technical: The research component of this CAREER award investigates the proton (H+) conductivity of polysaccharide nanofibers in field effect transistors (FET). The research builds on the demonstration of current modulation in biocompatible polysaccharide field effect transistors with proton-transparent contacts. In maleic-chitosan nanofibers, protons move along the hydrated maleic-chitosan hydrogen bond network following the Grotthuss mechanism. This project studies a model for describing these field effect transistors that involves proton type (H+) and proton hole type (OH-) semiconductors. This model is verified by measuring proton transport in proton FET devices as a function of water content, temperature, contacts, and channel material. Specifically, chitin derivatives with proton-donating (acid) and proton-withdrawing (base) groups with different dissociation constant are synthesized. These materials should behave as H+ and OH- type proton semiconductors. Finally, the understanding of these proton transport phenomena is used to design devices for biomedical applications. These include planar proton selective patch-clamping and cell-based sensors.Non-technical: Proton transport plays an essential role in many natural phenomena. As such, devices that can directly measure and control protonic currents may provide new means of measuring proton transport in electrophysiology. Progress in nanoscience and nanotechnology has started to impact daily lives. However, "hard-science" disciplines often intimidate high-school students and as well as college students not in science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) majors because STEM disciplines are perceived as being remote from daily experiences. To increase the science knowledge of high-school students and non-STEM majors, this project explores the fun and approachable activity of having them design graphics to depict nanoscience and nanotechnology concepts. In the process of creating graphics, students witness that nanotechnology can be an approachable and creative field, while also gaining a better understanding of the underlying science. Furthermore, scientists often communicate their results using graphics. However, little formal training in visual communication is present in the STEM curriculum. Gathering inspiration and help from working with art majors, this project introduces a new class on bionanotechnology basic elements for graphic design, where science and engineering graduate students learn how to make effective figures for their publications.