RUI: Chiral, Conformational, and Polymorphic Control in Organic Thin Films by Liquid Crystal Imprinting

西华盛顿大学的David L. Patrick教授在化学系分析和表面化学项目的支持下，研究了热致液晶溶剂在制备分子和宏观尺度有序有机薄膜中的应用。液晶溶剂将与单晶石墨衬底结合，系统合理地打破分子单层的构型对称。该技术可以控制分子取向、手性、多态性和构象。将开发的一系列方法将扩展有机薄膜生长的现代技术工具包，允许制备具有新组织维度的薄膜。对有机薄膜中分子排列进行结构控制的能力影响了不同学科的广泛研究领域，这些领域需要在技术相关的衬底上进行有序的薄膜。受到直接影响的研究领域包括手性色谱、非线性光学材料、对映选择性传感器、液晶器件的极化膜和催化剂。本科生将在研究的各个方面接受培训和经验。

Professor David L. Patrick of Western Washington University is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry to investigate the use of thermotropic liquid crystal solvents for preparing organic thin films with controlled molecular- and macroscopic-scale order. Liquid crystal solvents will be combined with single crystal graphite substrates to systematically and rationally break configurational symmetry in molecular monolayers. The technique affords control over molecular orientation, chirality, polymorphism, and conformation. Together the family of methods that will be developed will extend the modern toolkit of techniques for organic thin film growth, allowing the preparation of films engineered to possess new dimensions of organization. The ability to exert structural control over the arrangement of molecules in organic thin films impacts a wide range of research areas in different disciplines where there is a need for ordered films on technologically relevant substrates. Research areas that are directly impacted include chiral chromatography, nonlinear optical materials, enantioselective sensors, polarizing films for liquid crystal devices, and catalysts. Undergraduate students will receive training and experience in all aspects of the research.