Molecular Conductance and Induced Reactivity in Group 14 Constructs

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In this project, funded by the Chemical Structure, Dynamic & Mechanism B Program of the Chemistry Division, Professors Colin Nuckolls, Latha Venkataraman, and James L Leighton of the Columbia University Department of Chemistry are creating and studying the physicochemical properties of Group 14 based sigma-conjugated molecular materials such as wires and cyclic and multicyclic structures to demonstrate unusual electronic, electronically driven catalytic and quantum mechanical properties. This project can increase understanding of nano-scale silicon electronics, which is at the heart of the information age. The project also contains broader impacts objectives that aim to increase the number of scientists. It plans to do so by a coordinated effort that spans K-8 outreach, curriculum development, and research training for undergraduate and graduate students. In each of these efforts, the researchers are committed to increasing the participation of historically underrepresented groups in the sciences. Specifically, the research areas for this project consist of three integrated components studying silicon and germanium-based molecular components through a combination of synthesis and single-molecule measurements to (1) understand fundamental structure/function properties in new designed systems; (2) understand how bonding interactions across atoms impact molecular properties; (3) create in situ chemistry that is catalyzed by bond strain and/or the electrostatic field applied to these molecules. The overall objective is to create novel Group 14-based molecular structures, interrogate them, and catalyze reactions across selective sigma-bonds at the single-molecule level.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.