Organic Infrared Materials: Rational Design, Synthetic Strategies, Unique Properties and Emerging Applications

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Organic Infrared Materials are an emerging class of Photonic Materials that are able to harvest, emit or convert light in the infrared (IR) spectral region, typically covering the near-infrared (NIR, 780-3000 nm), mid-infrared (MIR, 3-50 microns) and far-infrared (FIR, 50-1000 microns) parts. Invisible IR light represents more than half of the total energy from the Sun to arrive on Earth and affects our everyday life. However, lack of organic IR materials hampers realization of many potentially transformative applications, such as optical attenuators for telecommunications (1300-1600 nm), sensitive signaling for security display or bio-imaging (800-1100 nm), heat absorbers (1000-1600 nm) for energy saving, and broadband photodetectors (300-1600 nm).*******The long-term objectives of our research are to address the two scientific issues: (1) How to realize and utilize infrared wavelength-selective or panchromic (UV-Vis-IR) absorption, emission and chromogenic property? (2) How to improve the figure-of-the-merit of organic infrared optoelectronics? Accordingly, the following projects with specific objectives are proposed.*******(i) Development of organic materials with infrared wavelength-selective and panchromatic (UV-Vis-IR) optoelectronic properties. The objectives are to develop new electron acceptors, n-type polymer semiconductors, donor-acceptor polymers with the bandgap energy less than 1.24 eV (>1000 nm) and well-defined metallodithiolene oligomers/polymers with very low-energy mixed-valence states (e.g., 0.05-0.8 eV).*******(ii) Study of unique IR chromogenic properties. The objective is to correlate the optical and luminescent properties of organic IR materials, under external photo, electrochemical, thermal and chemical stimuli, with their molecular and macromolecular structures.******(iii) Emerging applications. The objectives are to utilize the unique properties of organic IR materials for emerging applications. The polymers with strong absorption at specific IR wavelengths (e.g., 1000~1600 nm or 8-12 microns) will be explored as colorless IR-radiation absorbers. The new n-/p-type semiconducting polymers and novel photo-induced charge-transporting interlayer materials will be used to develop polymer panchromatic photodetectors with the device performance comparable to or better than both Si and InGaAs photodetectors.******The proposed research includes a diverse and intensive training program for high quality personnel. The training program is designed and executed according to our “tailored-fit personal training” philosophy and offers students the tailored projects that best fit each person's interest, background and potential. The students are also encouraged to get involved in promotion of modern science and engineering in local community and high schools.***