Design and Synthesis of Novel Conductive Organic Materials

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My research program aims to design and synthesize new -conjugated molecules/polymers for organic electronics and biomedical applications. The field of organic electronics has grown tremendously in the past 30 years, during which conductive -conjugated polymers have evolved from laboratory curiosities to ubiquitous components of everyday technologies such as mobile phone displays. However, much work remains to be done in developing next-generation organic electronic materials. For example, designing practically useful organic materials with exotic properties such superconductivity and magnetism are a long way from being realized. Even with more common materials such as organic semiconductors, significant improvements in their syntheses, charge mobilities, and ambient stabilities are still needed. To address these long-term objectives, new organic materials have to be discovered and studied in detail. As part of our overarching goal to develop novel organic materials with unique and tunable optoelectronic properties, the following three short-term objectives are proposed: (1) Developing sulfonamide-functionalized -conjugated polymers with high electron mobilities and ambient stabilities. This class of materials has not been explored as organic n-type semiconductors. Our approach addresses the current lack of electron-transporting organic semiconductors that are simultaneously easy to synthesize and have high charge mobilities and stabilities; (2) Synthesis of -conjugated polymers with delocalized unpaired electrons. This is a relatively new research area that involves designing organic molecules with magnetic properties. Our approach will focus on creating delocalized radical centers on organic macromolecules, with the goal of making new materials that are intrinsically magnetic and conductive; (3) Discovery of high-Tc organic superconductors. This objective will focus on synthesizing novel dye-functionalized -conjugated polymers and testing them for high-Tc superconductivity. The theoretical basis for high-Tc superconductivity in these systems was put forth in 1964, but never experimentally verified due to synthetic methodology constraints. Here, we aim to combine experimental efforts with the existing theoretical framework to produce major breakthroughs in superconductor science. Overall, the program seeks to take the field of organic conductors to the next level by not only providing solutions to current challenges in organic electronics, but also by discovering new classes of exotic materials for next-generation applications. The proposed research will also train HQP in organic synthesis, polymer synthesis, and materials characterization; preparing them for careers in academia, industry, or government.