Revisiting the Dehydroannulenes

化学系的大分子、超分子和纳米化学项目支持肯塔基大学化学系约翰·E·安东尼教授。安东尼教授和他的研究小组正在合成和表征一种名为环烯的不同寻常的分子，这种分子的碳原子呈环状排列。分子在溶液中相互作用，在固体状态下形成聚集体和有序。通过这种聚集，分子能够进行电子通信，并产生有趣的光学性质。这种分子可以应用于改善太阳能收集，使柔性彩色显示器的构建成为可能，并提高传感器的灵敏度。该项目不仅在有机合成和表征领域为研究生和本科生研究人员提供培训，而且在晶体管等电子应用中使用新材料方面也提供培训。安东尼教授还与该大学目前的扩大工程参与度计划合作，帮助招募在科学领域代表性不足的学生加入这个项目。还在开展涉及高中生的外联活动。有机电子学领域建立在传统的芳香族(或杂芳族)环体系之上。随着该领域朝着更高性能和多功能材料的方向发展，传统的芳香族化合物开始达到极限。该项目将探索脱氢环烯，特别是形式上的抗芳香族脱氢[12]环烯，作为具有高度可开发性的潜在成分。这个项目的关键是努力理解和控制聚集和固态秩序，就像安东尼教授的团队用Acenes所展示的那样。通过利用关键的官能化策略，新的分子正在被设计出来，表现出双极电荷传输，最小化电荷-载流子各向异性，并了解聚集的性质(在溶液和固体中)如何影响单态裂变性质。参与这个项目的学生(研究生和本科生研究人员，以及当地一所高中的实习生)正在执行从材料构思和设计到电子设备筛选的全方位任务。此外，通过NSF扩大工程学参与的不同学生群体也参与了这项研究。

The Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program of the Chemistry Division supports Professor John E. Anthony, Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky. Professor Anthony and his research group are synthesizing and characterizing an unusual class of molecules called annulenes, which have carbon atoms arranged in a ring form. The molecules interact in solution to form aggregates and order in the solid state. Through this aggregation the molecules are able to communicate electronically and generate interesting optical properties. Such molecules could be applied to improving solar energy harvesting, enabling the construction of flexible color displays, and improving the sensitivity of sensors. The project is providing training to graduate and undergraduate researchers not only in the field of organic synthesis and characterization, but also in the use of new materials in electronic applications such as transistors. Professor Anthony is also partnering with the current Broadening Participation in Engineering program at the university to assist in recruiting students underrepresented in science to this project. Outreach activities involving high-school students are also being pursued. The field of organic electronics is built on traditional aromatic (or heteroaromatic) ring systems. As the field pushes toward higher-performance and multi-functional materials, traditional aromatic compounds are beginning to reach their limit. This project will explore dehydroannulenes, particularly formally anti-aromatic dehydro[12]annulenes, as potential components with highly exploitable properties. Key to this project is the effort to understand and control aggregation and solid-state order, as Professor Anthony's group has demonstrated with acenes. By exploiting key functionalization strategies, new molecules are being devised that exhibit ambipolar charge transport, minimized charge-carrier anisotropy, and understand how the nature of aggregation (in solution and solid state) impact singlet fission properties. Students involved in this project (graduate and undergrad researchers, as well as interns from a local high school) are performing the full range of tasks from material conception and design all the way to screening in electronic devices. In addition, a diverse group of students through NSF Broadening Participation in Engineering are being engaged in this research.