Optical Excitations of Organic Macromolecular Aggregates

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TECHNICAL SUMMARY:Organic hyperbranched polymers are now promising candidates for a number of electronic and optical applications. In this project a hypothesis of the mechanism of the enhanced dielectric effects in phthalocyanine hyperbranched polymers is investigated. The proposed studies are to be carried out in two phases. The first phase consists of a detailed investigation of the polaron dynamics in organic branched macromolecules. The second phase is related to the development of a hybrid capacitor/fuel cell design for increased energy and power density energy storage devices. The PI's research group will design, synthesize, and investigate in detail hyperbranched phthalocyanine polymers and probe their structure-function relationships. The scope of this work thus involves: a) detailed mechanistic studies of the polaron hopping rate and delocalization length in hyperbranched polymers; b) the design and fabrication of a capacitor/battery hybrid system which will deliver reliably increased energy and power. In the proposed studies, the PI's group will investigate different factors affecting the hopping length and rate and thus contributing to the dielectric response of the proposed hyperbranched systems. Both optical and electronic experiments will be conducted to probe structure-function relationships as they relate to the dielectric response in hyperbranched systems. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This project concerns the understanding of the electronic properties of new materials useful for electronic applications. In particular, research is to be carried out on certain organic polymer materials which have unusual properties that are beneficial for energy storage devices. Research will be conducted to understand the fundamental properties of these materials and to calibrate their energy storage characteristics based on their structure. This planned research allows for the mentoring of younger (high school) scientists in the surrounding areas in the field of materials and enriching their scientific and mathematical backgrounds. Also, with industrial collaborations, this research project will provide opportunities for mentoring women and minority scientists to further their careers in graduate school and in academic professions.