Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy Studies of Luminescent Polymer/Metal Interfaces

德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校化学学部的启动基金支持David A. Vanden Bout教授的研究。研究的主题是界面化学和材料非均质性对金属界面上发光共轭聚合物的电子和光学性质的影响。近场扫描光学显微镜（NSOM）将与时间分辨光谱相结合，用于直接探测聚合物/金属界面。NSOM将与超快激光光谱学相结合，包括光学特性的时间分辨测量。特别感兴趣的性质包括能量的迁移和捕获、基本激发以及局部光化学。尽管廉价可靠的有机电子器件已经存在多年，但耐久性差和寿命短限制了这些器件的成功。通过直接探测聚合物/金属界面的小区域，这些研究将对有机器件（如聚合物发光二极管）的工作和失效产生新的见解。

This starter grant award of the Chemistry Division to the University of Texas at Austin supports the research of Professor David A. Vanden Bout. The theme of the research is the effects of interfacial chemistry and material heterogeneities on electronic and optical properties of luminescent conjugated polymers at metal interfaces. Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) combined with time-resolved spectroscopy will be used to probe polymer/metals interfaces directly. The NSOM will be coupled with ultrafast laser spectroscopy to include time-resolved measurements of the optical properties. Properties of particular interest include the migration and trapping of energy and fundamental excitations as well as localized photochemistry. Although inexpensive and reliable organic electronic devices have existed for years, poor durability and short lifetimes have limited the success of these devices. By probing the small region of polymer/metal interfaces directly, these studies will yield new insight into the workings and failures of organic devices such as polymer light-emitting diodes.