Molecular Plasmonic Devices for Writing at the Nanoscale

世纪的化学家能够以一种过去几代人做梦也想不到的方式操纵原子和分子。今天，我们可以在分子水平上构造处理（阅读和写入）信息的装置。与宏观的对应物一样，分子级的设备需要能量来运行，并需要信号来与操作员进行通信。光是最便宜、最丰富、最有吸引力的信息读写工具，它使我们能够在本地或远程、非侵入性地、通过负担得起的实验装置来实现这一点。然而，衍射阻止了光在超小体积内的聚焦，因此，使用常规照明技术以分子精度制造特征。我们的最终目标是克服衍射障碍，并操纵在subdiffraction制度的光，通过工程有机分子和金属纳米粒子，使它们的性能可以协同使用。这些巧妙的策略提供了将化学反应限制在纳米尺度体积内的机会，并以可持续的方式制造具有前所未有的分辨率的功能。将经典有机化学与新的，令人兴奋的等离子体技术相结合，有可能绕过衍射的限制，并允许在使用纳米技术发明高性能，节能和可回收材料的世界中方便地制造用于通信和计算机行业的小型化物体。 本研究计划的主要目标是制备用于等离子体激元激活的有机基质，用于在纳米尺度上进行荧光图案化的金属纳米颗粒。初步工作将集中在（1）由纳米粒子的光激发驱动的等离子体介导的化学反应的合成潜力，这将被利用来将荧光有机底物转化为发射产物。为了实现主要目标，金属纳米结构也将被开发用于（2）等离子体多光子光化学过程。除了在纳米技术中实施新协议外，该研究方向还将导致开发和理解具有执行复杂和串行功能能力的创新系统。将多个离散组分组合成单个多功能纳米材料将在各种应用中有用，特别是在级联反应中;金属纳米结构的组合性质的探索将为材料设计中的高影响力发现提供令人兴奋的机会。 通过创新和具有挑战性的研究，HQP将获得多样化的技术和人际交往技能，使他们能够在学术界，工业界或公共服务领域从事职业生涯，并为加拿大科学和创新的未来做出重大贡献。

The chemists of the 21st century can manipulate atoms and molecules in a way that past generations could not even dream about. Today we can construct devices for the processing (reading and writing) of information at the molecular level. Like their macroscopic counterparts, molecular-level devices need energy to operate, and signals to communicate with the operator. Light is the most inexpensive, abundant and attractive tool to read and write information, allowing us to do this locally or remotely, noninvasively and with affordable experimental setups. However, diffraction prevents the focusing of light within ultra-small volumes and, as a result, the fabrication of features with molecular precision using conventional illumination techniques. Our ultimate goal is to overcome the diffraction barrier and to manipulate light in the subdiffraction regime, by engineering together organic molecules and metal nanoparticles such that their properties can be used cooperatively. These ingenious strategies offer the opportunity to confine chemical reactions within nanoscaled volumes and to fabricate features with unprecedented resolution, in a sustainable fashion. Combining classic organic chemistry with new, exciting, plasmonic technology has the potential to bypass the limitations of diffraction and permit the convenient fabrication of miniaturized objects for the communications and computer industries, in a world that uses nanotechnology to invent high performance, energy efficient, and recyclable materials. The main objective of this research plan is the preparation of organic substrates for plasmonic activation by metal nanoparticles for fluorescence patterning at the nanoscale. Initial work will focus on (1) the synthetic potential for plasmon-mediated chemical reactions driven by light excitation of nanoparticles, which will be exploited to convert fluorogenic organic substrates into emissive products. Toward the realization of the main objective, metal nanostructures will also be exploited in (2) plasmonic multiphoton photochemical processes. In addition to implementing new protocols in nanotechnology, this research line will lead to the development and the understanding of innovative systems with the capability of performing complex and serial functions. Combining multiple discrete components into a single multifunctional nanomaterial would be useful in a variety of applications, particularly in cascade-like reactions; the exploration of the combinatorial properties of metal nanostructures will offer exciting opportunities for high-impact discoveries in materials design. Through innovative and challenging research, HQP will acquire diverse technical and interpersonal skill sets that will prepare them to pursue careers in academia, industry or public service, and to make significant contributions to the future of Canadian science and innovation.