Collaborative Research: New Approaches to Narrow-Band Electrochromics

在这个由化学系化学结构、动力学与机制B项目和材料研究部电子与光子材料项目资助的项目中，佐治亚理工学院的Seth Marder教授和密西西比州立大学的Colleen Scott教授正在开发一种新的分子方法，这种方法可以使用电刺激在鲜艳的彩色和无色状态之间可逆地切换。这种材料可以应用于显示器、“智能窗户”、眼睛和传感器保护以及光通信。除了潜在地影响与这些应用相关的学术和工业努力外，这项工作还将导致与键断裂/形成和电子转移过程耦合相关的新知识。对学生进行化学合成和表征、材料的电化学和光学表征方面的培训，以及通过他们正在进行的与扩大参与有关的活动，包括指导少数民族学生和早期职业教师，以及参与到K-12教室的推广，将产生更广泛的影响。虽然许多材料是电致变色的，但很少有材料可以在基本无色和生动的彩色状态之间切换，这是高对比度显示和一些光子应用所需要的。提议的工作涉及茂金属“电子峰”和基于罗丹明或相关结构的发色团的共价连接，该结构可以在无色环闭形式和环开形式之间切换，由于高吸收率窄吸收带而显色。与许多其他电致变色系统相比，电化学和光学性质可以独立调谐和优化。Marder和Scott研究小组将探索多种替代方法，其中二茂铁的单电子氧化到二茂铁（两者都相对于开放形式的发色团吸收非常弱），或二茂铁衍生物的双电子氧化与染料的开环或闭环相结合，从而使染料要么阳极（即氧化）要么阴极（即还原）着色。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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 Chemical Structure, Dynamics & Mechanism B Program in the Division of Chemistry and the Electronic and Photonic Materials program in the Division of Materials Research, Professors Seth Marder at Georgia Tech and Colleen Scott at Mississippi State University are developing new approaches to molecules that can be reversibly switched between vividly colored and colorless states using an electrical stimulus. Such materials may have applications in displays, “smart windows”, eye and sensor protection, and optical communications. As well as potentially impacting academic and industrial efforts relating to these applications, this work will also lead to new knowledge relating to the coupling of bond breaking/formation and electron-transfer processes. Further broader impacts will result from the training of students in chemical synthesis and characterization, and in electrochemical and optical characterization of materials, as well as through their ongoing activities relating to broadening participation, including mentoring minority students and early career faculty, and engaging in outreach to K-12 classrooms.While many materials are electrochromic, very few are switchable between essentially colorless and vividly colored states, as required for high-contrast displays and some photonic applications. The proposed work involves covalent linking of a metallocene “electrophore” and a chromophore based on a rhodamine or a related structure that can be switched between a colorless ring-closed form and a ring-opened form that is vividly colored due to a high-absorptivity narrow absorption band. In contrast to many other electrochromic systems, the electrochemical and optical properties can be independently tuned and optimized. The Marder and Scott research groups will explore a variety of alternative approaches in which the one-electron oxidation of ferrocene to ferrocenium (both of which are very weakly absorbing relative to the open forms of the chromophores), or the two-electron oxidation of a ruthenocene derivative, is coupled to ring-opening or closing of the dye so that the dyes are either anodically (i.e. oxidatively) or cathodically (i.e. reductively) coloring.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.