RUI: Developing Organic Charge-Transfer Liquid Crystals: Towards Modular Control of Functional Properties in Laser Re-Writable Organic Medium

在这项由化学系高分子、超分子和纳米化学计划资助的项目中，丹尼森大学化学和生物化学系的约瑟夫·J·雷切克教授正在准备一种新的有机材料，用于数据存储和信息加密。这些材料的性质介于液体和固体之间，由含有芳香环的分子构成。在有机化学中，芳香分子非常稳定，不容易与其他物质反应。由于化学键由电子组成，芳环能够在光学数据存储中导电和光，类似于分子尺度的导线。雷切克教授设计并建造了一个互动教育展览--《太阳站》。他还在俄亥俄州利奇县的作品博物馆为初中生和高中生组织并主持了一场动手的“化学挑战”比赛。他还与丹尼森大学、The Works和俄亥俄州立大学纽瓦克分校建立了一个联合项目，将当地10-12岁的儿童和他们的父母带到校园里进行STEM讲座和实验室演示。这项研究专注于发现和开发一类新兴的超分子有机材料-芳香族电荷转移液晶(ACT-LCS)。具体地说，通过三个主要目标来推进新的ACT-LCS中光电功能特性、材料可调整性和可控分子组装的出现。第一个目标是以模块化的方式系统地设计、合成和组合/组装一系列芳香族分子，以更好地了解和预测组分结构与ACT-LC整体性质之间的关系，包括电荷转移(CT)持久性、扩展的CT吸收范围(NIR)和激光可写光学二色性的分辨率。在第二个目标中，将具有大分子偶极的芳香族组分加入到ACT-LCS中，以对准用于场效应应用和增强可写分辨率的正交材料。在最后的目标中，正在出现的ACT-LCD被探索为用于光学数据存储和信息加密的新方法的有机介质。本研究为本科生提供了超分子和纳米化学方面的培训。该项目还具有开发用于技术应用的创造性功能超分子纳米材料的潜力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In this project funded by the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Joseph J. Reczek of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Denison University is preparing a new class of organic materials for potential use in data storage and information encryption. These materials have properties between those of liquids and solids and are constructed from molecules that contain aromatic rings. In organic chemistry, aromatic molecules are very stable and do not readily react with other substances. Since chemical bonds consist of electrons, aromatic rings are capable of conducting electricity and light in optical data storage, similar to molecular-scale wires. Professor Reczek designs and constructs an interactive educational exhibit, "The Solar Station". He also organizes and conducts a hands-on "Chemistry Challenge" competition for both middle and high school students at The Works Museum in Licking County, Ohio. He has also established a joint program between Denison University, The Works and The Ohio State University Newark branch to bring local 10-12 year-olds and their parents onto campuses for STEM lectures and laboratory demonstrations.This research focuses on the discovery and development of fundamentally new properties and chemistries in an emerging class of supramolecular organic materials, aromatic charge-transfer liquid crystals (ACT-LCs). Specifically, studies to advance the emergence of optoelectronic functional properties, material tunability, and controlled molecular assembly in new ACT-LCs are conducted through three main objectives. The first objective concentrates on the systematic design, synthesis, and combination/assembly of a series of aromatic molecules in a modular fashion to better understand and predict relationships between component structure and ACT-LC bulk properties including charge-transfer (CT) persistence, extended CT absorption range (NIR), and resolution of laser-writable optical dichroism. In the second objective, aromatic components having a large molecular dipole are incorporated into ACT-LCs to align orthogonal materials for field-effect applications and enhanced writable resolution. In the last objective, emerging ACT-LCs are explored as organic media for new methods of optical data storage and information encryption. This research provides training for undergraduate students in supramolecular and Nanochemistry. The project also has the potential to develop creative functional supramolecular nanomaterials for technological applications.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.