Career: New Materials for Photonics

这项授予俄克拉荷马州立大学尼古拉斯·A·科托夫的职业奖项得到了化学部先进材料项目的支持。研究的重点是化学修饰半导体纳米团簇的合成和表征，其中修饰包括过渡金属络合物与纳米团簇表面的硫化物原子的配位键合。具体地说，稳定的硫族镉纳米团簇将被制备，并通过与铜和Ru胺配合物的反应进行表面修饰。通过透射电子显微镜、X射线衍射仪、电子自旋共振谱、核磁共振谱、质谱仪、发射光谱和吸收光谱对修饰后的纳米团簇进行了表征。光学性质将通过时间分辨荧光光谱、泵浦探测光谱和斯塔克光谱来研究。半导体纳米团簇与表面结合的过渡金属络合物之间的电子相互作用显著影响着纳米团簇的非线性光学性质，包括二次和三次谐波的产生。通过使纳米颗粒的光学性质适应特定的应用，硫系化合物修饰体系将为制备新型发光和非线性光学材料提供一条新的途径。职业教育计划将整合光子学领域的研究和教育。具体地说，俄克拉何马州立大学将制定一项课程，以支持新的跨学科光子学博士项目。将制定光学、光谱学、显微镜和半导体合成等实验室课程。这些课程与工业实习和光子学商业讲座系列相结合，将为博士生培养在商业或学术领域从事有意义职业所需的技能。

This CAREER award to Nicholas A. Kotov at Oklahoma State University is supported by the Advanced Materials Program in the Chemistry Division. The focus of the research is the synthesis and characterization of chemically modified semiconductor nanoclusters where the modification consists of coordinatively binding transition metal complexes to the chalcogenide atoms on the nanocluster surface. Specifically, stabilized cadmium chalcogenide nanoclusters will be prepared and surface modified by reaction with copper and ruthenium amine complexes. The chemically modified nanoclusters will be characterized by TEM, XRD, ESR, NMR, MS, and emission and absorption spectroscopy. Optical properties will be studied by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, pump-probe spectroscopy and Stark spectroscopy. Electronic interactions between the semiconductor nanocluster and the surface bound transition metal complex markedly effect the nonlinear optical properties of the nanoclusters including second and third harmonic generation. By adapting optical properties of nanoparticles to a particular application, chalcogenide modified systems will provide a new pathway for the preparation of novel light-emitting and nonlinear optical materials.The CAREER educational plan will integrate research and education in the area of photonics. Specifically, a curriculum will be developed in support of the new interdisciplinary Photonics Ph. D. program at Oklahoma State. Laboratory courses in optics, spectroscopy, microscopy and semiconductor synthesis will be formulated. These courses, in concert with industrial internships and a photonics business lecture series will prepare Ph.D. students with the necessary skills for meaningful careers either in the business or academic sectors.