CAREER: Structural and Functional Mimics of Colloidal Quantum Dot Surfaces

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With this award, the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program and the Chemical Structure and Dynamics-B Program of the Division of Chemistry are funding Prof. Kevin Kittilstved of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst to conduct fundamental research toward better understanding the properties of nanoscale semiconductors. These are potentially useful in light-emitting devices and display technologies. In addition, Prof. Kittilstved is developing new partnerships with regional community colleges and strengthening existing educational programs aiming at increasing the retention rates of underrepresented minorities in the STEM fields. This CAREER award will provide summer research opportunities for underrepresented rising STEM scholars from Springfield Technical Community College and female students who participate in the Eureka! Program of Girls Inc. of Holyoke. The long term goal of this research is to gain a thorough understanding of how defects form on the surfaces of semiconductor nanocrystals. This CAREER project focuses on elucidating the thermodynamics and kinetics of the metal ion exchange reactions of impurities into zinc and cadmium-(chalcogenide)-benzenechalcogenolate clusters using a range of spectroscopic and analytical techniques. The specific objectives are: (1) to determine the effect of targeted, substitutional chemical defects on the formation kinetics and thermodynamics of the clusters of varying sizes; (2) to study the electronic structure of impurity-doped clusters and related impurity-doped colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals; and (3) to broaden the participation and increase the retention rates of underrepresented minorities in the chemistry and STEM undergraduate curriculum through summer research opportunities, and increased mentoring, advising and networking.