Chemical Aspects of Molecule-based Electronics

Mark A.Ratner教授得到了美国国家科学基金会化学部和研究生教育和研究部的资助，用于研究生培训计划，重点是基于分子的电子学的化学方面。一个由六名西北大学化学教员组成的团队将在这一领域和相关领域具有教学和研究专业知识，以提供该领域的研究生培训和指导以及研究计划指导。为了确保该计划导致化学系内部培训的净扩展，将制定一项积极的招生计划，重点是少数族裔和女性学生。一旦被录取，受训人员将参加一个严格的计划，旨在提供：1)与基于分子的电子学的中心主题相关的课程；2)接触来自西北大学以外的领先学术和工业研究人员并与之互动；3)在西北大学教职员工的实验室内进行研究培训；以及4)通过协作研究互动解决面向团队、跨学科的问题的经验。基于分子的电子学是将分子材料用于电子或光子应用。这一领域的范围从定义明确和理解良好的现象，如有机生色团单晶的非线性光学响应，到更诱人的、概念上更困难的领域，涉及分子水平上的光计算和光存储系统。这一跨学科领域不仅包括化学，还包括物理、工程和材料科学。随着第一批商业化分子电子技术的出现，对美国训练有素的博士水平科学家的需求已经不言而喻。通过研究生研究培训奖提供的资金将有助于为国家需要的这一领域的科学家提供资金。

Professor Mark A. Ratner is supported by a grant from the Chemistry Division and the Graduate Education and Research Division at NSF for a Graduate Traineeship Program emphasizing the chemical aspects of molecule-based electronics. A team of six Northwestern University chemistry faculty members with teaching and research expertise in this and related areas will be assembled to provide graduate training and mentoring as well as research program direction in this area. To ensure the program leads to a net expansion of training within the chemistry department, an aggressive recruitment plan emphasizing minority and female students will be devised. Once recruited, the trainees will take part in a rigorous program designed to provide: 1) courses pertinent to the central themes of molecule-based electronics; 2) exposure to and interaction with leading academic and industrial researchers from outside Northwestern University; 3) research training within the laboratories of Northwestern University faculty; and 4) experience in team-oriented, interdisciplinary problem solving via collaborative research interactions. %%% Molecule-based electronics is the use of molecular materials for electronic or photonic applications. The scope of this field ranges from well-defined and well-understood phenomena such as nonlinear optical response of a single crystal of an organic chromophore to the more tantalizing and conceptually more difficult areas involving optical computing and optical memory storage systems at the molecular level. This interdisciplinary field encompasses not only chemistry, but also physics, engineering and materials science. With the emergence of the first commercial molecular electronic technologies, the need for U.S. trained Ph.D. level scientists has become self-evident. Funding provided through this Graduate Research Traineeship award will help to provide scientists in this area of national need.