US-Brazil Collaboration: Peptide nanostructure-based organic electronics

该项目启动了巴西圣安德烈联邦大学（UFABC）和美国哥伦比亚密苏里大学在肽纳米结构作为有机电子学活性材料和分子模板领域的合作努力。来自巴西的合作者是超分子化学领域的专家，特别是在肽和其他生物功能化纳米结构的合成方面。这位美国研究员在有机/聚合物半导体的基础光学和电学研究领域经验丰富。具有互补专业知识的科学家之间的国际合作旨在用导电聚合物（CP）如聚（3-己基噻吩）（P3HT）合成新的功能化肽基纳米结构（PNS）。这些纳米结构可用于电子器件，如场效应晶体管（fet），以探测基于肽的半导体/绝缘体（介电）薄膜的界面特性。通过将光学光谱与电荷输运测量相结合，探讨了PNS-CP基fet中电荷输运的性质，包括压电效应。这项合作工作可能是将研究工作扩展到大面积生物启发纳米技术的垫脚石。该项目将为教育和外联活动提供机会。一名研究生将与来自巴西的研究生一起工作，提高技能的流动性和可转移性。该项目还将与密苏里大学现有的社区外展活动相结合，这些活动涉及创新教学和公共政策倡议。

This project initiates a collaborative effort between the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Santo Andre, Brazil and the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA, in the area of peptide nanostructures as active materials and molecular templates for organic electronics. The collaborator from Brazil is an expert in the area of supramolecular chemistry, in particular, in the synthesis of peptide and other bio-inspired functionalized nanostructures. The US investigator is experienced in the area of fundamental optical and electrical studies of organic/polymeric semiconductors. This international collaboration between scientists having complementary expertise aims at the synthesis of new functionalized peptide-based nanostructures (PNS) with conducting polymers (CP) such as poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). These nanostructures may be utilized in electronic devices such as field-effect transistors (FETs) to probe the interface properties of peptide-based semiconductor/insulator (dielectric) films. By combining optical spectroscopy with charge transport measurements, the nature of charge transport including piezoelectric effects in PNS-CP based FETs will be explored. This collaborative work could be a stepping stone for expanding the research effort into large-area bio-inspired nanotechnology. The project will provide opportunities for educational and outreach activities. A graduate student will work with graduate students from Brazil, enhancing mobility and transferability of skills. The project will also be integrated with existing community outreach activities at the University of Missouri that involve innovative teaching and public policy initiatives.