NIRT: Electronic Interactions in Hybrid Organic-Nanoparticle Materials

纽瓦克罗格斯大学的Elena Galoppini、约翰霍普金斯大学的Gerald Meyer和纽瓦克罗格斯大学的Piotr Piotrowiak获得了纳米科学跨学科研究小组（NIRT）的资助，以表彰他们在提高我们对有机分子-纳米颗粒界面上电子相互作用的基本理解方面的跨学科努力，并使我们能够以可预测的方式控制它们。该研究采用了合成方法，可以控制与纳米颗粒表面结合的有机分子的距离和方向。即将准备的材料将使这些研究人员能够探索长期存在的基本问题，这些问题涉及分子中界面电子相互作用的细节，这在以前是不可能的。实验中，氧化还原和光活性有机化合物相对于纳米颗粒表面的位置将被固定，通过表面附着染料和纳米颗粒材料的系统分子水平变化来控制和调节界面电子相互作用。制备具有诸如光收集天线或荧光传感器等功能的分子组件（超分子结构）是一个重要的长期研究目标。本研究将探索半导体纳米粒子与附着分子之间的界面相互作用。这项研究将有助于我们对发生在半导体纳米颗粒和附着分子之间的界面上的电子相互作用的基本理解，以便我们可以以可预测的方式控制它们。研究生，本科生和博士后将在前沿纳米科学研究项目中获得优秀的培训和研究经验。

Elena Galoppini of Rutgers University at Newark, Gerald Meyer of Johns Hopkins University and Piotr Piotrowiak of Rutgers University at Newark, are supported by a NIRT grant (Nanoscience Interdisciplinary Research Teams) for their interdisciplinary effort to improve our fundamental understanding of electronic interactions at organic molecule-nanoparticle interfaces and to allow us to control them in a predictable manner. The research employs synthetic methodologies that allow control over the distance and orientation of surface bound organic molecules with respect to the nanoparticle surface. The materials that will be prepared will enable these researchers to probe long-standing fundamental questions concerning interfacial electronic interactions in molecular detail that was not previously possible. Experiments will be carried out in which the position of redox and photo-active organic compounds relative to a nanoparticle surface will be fixed to control and tune the interfacial electronic interactions through systematic molecular-level variation of surface-attached dyes and nanoparticle materials. The preparation of assemblies of molecular components (supramolecular structures) that perform desired functions such as light harvesting antennas or fluorescent sensors is a significant long term research goal. This research will probe interfacial interactions between semiconductor nanoparticles and attached molecular species. The research will contribute to our fundamental understanding of electronic interactions occuring at the interfaces between semiconductor nanoparticles and attached molecular species in order that we might control them in a predictable manner. Graduate students, undergraduate students and postdocs will receive excellent training and research experiences in a forefront nanoscience research program.