Quantum Charge Tunneling through Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAMs)

通过自组装单层 (SAM) 的量子电荷隧道

• 批准号: 2203621
• 负责人: George Whitesides
• 金额: $ 80万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2203621&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Quantum; Charge; Tunneling; through; Self

With support from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry (MSN) Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor George Whitesides of Harvard University is studying how electrons are transported through molecules. Electrons do not move through molecules like they do when they flow through a metal. Instead, they tunnel through them. Tunneling is a quantum mechanical behavior that pertains only to very small particles, like electrons. The length that an electron can tunnel through a molecule, and how efficiently it can do it, depends on the molecule's structure and the arrangement of the chemical bonds. However, studying electron tunneling through molecules presents a significant challenge, as it requires separating two electrodes by a distance equivalent to the length of a single molecule. Professor Whitesides and his group will develop new methods for studying quantum tunneling in organic and bioorganic matter. Their discoveries could lead to new electronic devices and sensors, as well as a better understanding of molecular catalysis and enzymes that catalyze electron transport. This highly interdisciplinary project will also contribute to the development of the future science and technology workforce by training postdoctoral scholars on how to combine concepts, techniques, and tools in chemistry, biology, and physics.The project will advance the liquid eutectic Gallium-Indium (eGaIn) electrode system for characterizing quantum tunneling in organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Surface plasmon spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) will be used to relate structural features to observed electrochemical behavior. The project aims to correlate rates of tunneling with molecular electronic structure and understand the effects of applied electric and magnetic fields on tunneling currents. Studies of bio-relevant SAMs in liquid environments will provide insights into the role surrounding liquids (and dissolved ions) play in charge conduction and establish a basis for electron-transfer rates in bioorganic systems. Studies of SAMs with embedded catalysts will examine the effect of oriented electric fields on catalytic transformations.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.

在化学系高分子、超分子和纳米化学 (MSN) 项目的支持下，哈佛大学的 George Whitesides 教授正在研究电子如何通过分子传输。电子不会像流经金属那样在分子中移动。相反，他们会穿过它们。隧道效应是一种量子力学行为，仅适用于非常小的粒子，例如电子。电子穿过分子的长度及其效率取决于分子的结构和化学键的排列。然而，研究分子中的电子隧道是一个重大挑战，因为它需要将两个电极分开相当于单个分子长度的距离。 怀特赛兹教授和他的团队将开发研究有机和生物有机物质中量子隧道效应的新方法。他们的发现可能会带来新的电子设备和传感器，以及对分子催化和催化电子传输的酶的更好理解。这个高度跨学科的项目还将通过培训博士后学者如何结合化学、生物学和物理学的概念、技术和工具，为未来科技劳动力的发展做出贡献。该项目将推进液体共晶镓-铟（eGaIn）电极系统，用于表征有机自组装单层（SAM）中的量子隧道效应。表面等离子体光谱、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）和原子力显微镜（AFM）将用于将结构特征与观察到的电化学行为联系起来。 该项目旨在将隧道速率与分子电子结构联系起来，并了解所施加的电场和磁场对隧道电流的影响。 对液体环境中生物相关 SAM 的研究将深入了解周围液体（和溶解离子）在电荷传导中的作用，并为生物有机系统中的电子转移速率奠定基础。 对嵌入催化剂的 SAM 的研究将检验定向电场对催化转化的影响。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。