SusChEM: Fungal Proteins as Agents for Organization and Delivery of Electroactive Materials

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Nontechnical: This SusChEM award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to Georgia Institute of Technology is to investigate how natural materials combine structural stability with elegant function, and how that ability may be harnessed for the production of superior semiconducting polymer assemblies for flexible/stretchable electronics. These polymers, which transport charge or harvest photons to produce charge, depend upon organization into ideally defect-free macromolecular structures. The vision presented in this proposal is to exploit the ability of some fungal proteins to encapsulate and induce the self-assembly of semiconducting polymers into organized architectures that are expected to have exceptional electronic characteristics. These features will provide access to low-cost, high performance, flexible, stretchable electronics, which could transform technology as we know it today. This SusChEM project provides opportunities to integrate research and education in technologies that will impact society. Robust, flexible and stretchable electronic systems may enable affordable sensors for applications in monitoring the environment and personal health, flexible and conformal displays and many more. The students participating in this research will be cross-trained in multiple areas to expand their knowledge and experience for professional growth and career opportunities. Further, based upon Georgia Tech's Invention Studio, the investigators plan to adopt the model of student-led training to Materials Science & Engineering through creation of a new Materials Innovation Studio to champion problem-solving and creative applications of material sciences and engineering.Technical: This proposal will investigate how the structural stability and elegant functional properties of natural biomaterials could be harnessed for the production of superior and value added optoelectronic, and other high performance materials. These molecular or supramolecular entities depend upon organization and alignment of them into ideally defect-free, tightly stacked assemblies on a macromolecular scale. Using a class of amphiphilic fungal proteins known as hydrophobins, this proposal will exploit their ability to encapsulate and induce self-assembly of polymers into organized architectures with enhanced stacking and therefore unprecedented performance. These features are expected to provide access to low-cost, high performance, flexible, stretchable materials for many applications. Hydrophobins are powerful natural surfactants, known to form aqueous dispersions and even encapsulate gases, organic solvents, and polymer solutions. Using these fungal proteins, this project will study factors that control the maximum capsule loading, and explore the impact of crystal structure on electronic characteristics and design appropriate protocols to prepare high performance, flexible and stretchable optoelectronic materials for fabrication of devices and circuits. Students participating in this study will benefit from this multidisciplinary and collaborative environment to expand their knowledge and experience. The investigators plan a strong and long-running commitment to broadened participation of students in science and engineering, and in serving the community. Additionally, these researchers plan to expand Georgia Tech's Invention Studio with its student-led training to Materials Science & Engineering areas, and to take a leading role in problem-solving and creative applications of material sciences and engineering.