Synthesis, Properties and Applications of Conjugated Oligomer Based Materials

有机和无机材料是新一代光学和电子设备功能的核心，将在未来的技术中发挥作用。太阳能电池依赖于吸收光并有效地将其转化为电能的材料，智能手机和笔记本电脑的显示器需要有效地发出明亮光的材料。共轭材料是一类有机聚合物和低聚物，可用于这些应用和其他应用。这些材料的性质可以通过对化学结构的系统修饰来增强，通过附加以特定方式与共轭主链相互作用的基团。本提案探讨了几种新型改性共轭材料的制备，了解它们与光相互作用的方式，以及它们如何应用于太阳能电池，发光设备以及其他应用。具体地说，将研究共轭单元与含硫基团连接的材料。预计这些新材料将用于太阳能电池和发光设备，并在开发护照和货币的印刷安全特征方面发挥作用。第二个研究领域将是可切换共轭材料的开发，其中光电特性可以通过外部刺激（如光、溶剂或温度）来控制。将制备和研究主链中同时含有电子给体（刘易斯碱性）和电子受体（刘易斯酸性）基团的共轭材料。这些化合物的颜色和电子性质取决于这两个基团如何相互作用，并且可能在光开关催化剂和细胞成像方面的应用将被探索。从该提案中获得的基本知识将用于进一步了解这些重要材料，并为在一系列应用中开发其特性开辟新的机会。培养材料科学和化学领域的新科学家是该计划的重要成果。

Organic and inorganic materials are central to the function of new generations of optical and electronic devices that will play a role in future technologies. Solar cells rely on materials that absorb light and efficiently convert it to electricity, and displays for smart phones and laptops need materials that emit bright light efficiently. Conjugated materials are a class of organic polymers and oligomers that can be used for these applications and others. The properties of these materials can be enhanced by systematic modifications to the chemical structure, by appending groups which interact with the conjugated backbone in specific ways. This proposal explores the preparation of several new classes of modified conjugated materials, understanding the way they interact with light, and how they can be applied in solar cells, light emitting devices as well as in other applications. Specifically, materials in which conjugated units are linked with sulfur-containing groups will be studied. These new materials are anticipated to be useful in solar cells and light-emitting devices, as well as play a role in the development of printed security features for passports and currency. A second area of investigation will be the development of switchable conjugated materials, where the optoelectronic properties can be controlled by an external stimulus such as light, solvent or temperature. Conjugated materials in which the backbone contains both electron donor (Lewis basic) and electron acceptor (Lewis acidic) groups will be made and studied. The color and electronic properties of these compounds depends on how the two groups interact with each other, and possible applications in photoswitchable catalysts as well as cellular imaging will be explored. The fundamental knowledge that will be attained from this proposal will be used to further our understanding of these important materials and open new opportunities for exploiting their properties in a range of applications. The training of new scientists in this area of materials science and chemistry is an important outcome from the proposed program.