CAREER: Elucidating the Structural-Functional Relationship of Photoelectrochemically Active Molecular Multilayers

伦斯勒理工学院的Peter H.Dinolfo教授获得了NSF化学部化学结构、动力学和机制B计划颁发的职业奖，该计划研究电极界面上分子供体-受体系统的光和电化学性质。用于特定电子、光子或电光应用的多层材料的设计需要对薄膜及其各自构件的结构-功能关系有准确的了解。利用PI实验室开发的一种新的逐层组装技术，由光谱调谐的有机和无机发色团组成的多层膜将在电极表面以施主-受主的配置进行组装。光谱和电化学方法将应用于修饰的底物，以阐明发色体层之间的能量和电子转移过程的机制和效率。这些信息将与多层薄膜的结构数据相关联，以确定用于p型染料敏化半导体太阳能电池的高效分子基光收集阵列的最佳条件。开发适合的方法来化学修饰具有分级分子结构的电极和半导体表面，并了解分子组成之间发生的光物理过程，对于人工光合作用领域至关重要。这项研究将有助于制定必要的设计原则，以提高下一代分子太阳能电池和人工光合作用装置的效率。该项目还将为材料化学跨学科领域的不同本科生和研究生提供培训。此外，为了激励和鼓励年轻学生考虑在STEM领域中的一个领域就业，国际学生联合会将为当地高中生组织和举办为期一周的研讨会。这些学生将参加伦斯勒理工学院PI实验室的几个实践活动，这些活动旨在突出太阳能转换和人工光合作用的一些基本化学方面。

Professor Peter H. Dinolfo from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is supported by a CAREER award from the Chemical Structure, Dynamics, and Mechanisms B program in the NSF Chemistry Division to study the photo- and electro-chemical properties of molecular donor-acceptor systems at electrode interfaces. The design of multilayer materials for specific electronic, photonic, or electro-optical applications requires an accurate knowledge of the structural-functional relationships of the films and their respective building blocks. Using a new layer-by-layer assembly technique developed in the PI's laboratory, multilayer films comprised of spectrally-tuned organic and inorganic chromophores will be assembled in donor-acceptor configurations on electrode surfaces. Spectroscopic and electrochemical methods will be applied to the modified substrates to elucidate the mechanisms and efficiency of energy and electron transfer processes between chromophore layers. This information will then be correlated with structural data on the multilayer thin films to determine the optimal conditions for creating efficient molecular-based light harvesting arrays for use in p-type dye-sensitized semiconductor solar cells.Developing adaptable methods to chemically modify electrode and semiconductor surfaces with hierarchical molecular structures and understanding the photophysical processes occurring amongst the molecular constituents is of central importance to the field of artificial photosynthesis. This research will help formulate the design principles necessary to improve the efficiency of next generation molecular based solar cells and artificial photosynthetic devices. The project will also provide training for a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students in the interdisciplinary field of materials chemistry. Additionally, in an effort to stimulate and encourage young students to consider a career in one of the STEM fields, the PI will organize and run a week-long workshop for local high school students. These students will participate in several hands-on activities in the PI's laboratory at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute that are designed to highlight some of the basic chemical aspects of solar energy conversion and artificial photosynthesis.