RUI: The Effect of Wavelength and Guest-Host Interactions in Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Ablation and Deposition of Organic Thin Films

本研究项目将重点研究基质辅助脉冲激光沉积聚合物和有机薄膜的机理。这些薄膜对化学和生物传感、防静电涂层和平板显示器等领域的技术进步至关重要。在这项技术中，要沉积成薄膜的聚合物或其他有机材料被溶解在溶剂基质中，然后将溶液冷冻并放置在真空室中。挥发性溶剂被泵离，有机物质以薄膜的形式沉积。我们最近的研究结果以及其他研究结果表明，所用的激光波长和基质对沉积的薄膜的特性有很大的影响。一旦了解了这种波长特性和客主相互作用的作用，将有助于以可重现的方式沉积高质量的薄膜。这项研究项目的更广泛影响始于它本质上是多学科的事实。以这种方式，从这项工作中获得的结果将会引起几乎所有科学和工程学科的研究人员的兴趣。因此，可能参与的学生人数自然很多。由于罗格斯-卡姆登分校在不断发展的城市环境中是一个多元化的校园，传统上代表性不足的群体自然会参与到这个项目中来。最后，该项目支持的本科生和博士后研究员的培训将通过罗格斯-卡姆登大学对本科生参与研究和密切教师指导的承诺而得到加强。

This research project will focus on the mechanism of matrix assisted pulsed laser deposition of thin polymer and organic films. These thin films are crucial to the advancement of technology in such areas as chemical and biological sensing, antistiction coatings, and flat panel displays, and many others as well. In this technique a polymer or other organic material to be deposited as a thin film is dissolved in a solvent matrix and then the solution is frozen and placed in a vacuum chamber. The volatile solvent is pumped away and the organic material is deposited as a thin film. Our recent research results, as well as others, have shown that the laser wavelength and matrix used can greatly affect the characteristics of the deposited films. Once this wavelength specificity and the role of guest-host interactions are understood, the deposition of high quality films in a reproducible manner will be facilitated.The broader impacts of this research project begin with the fact that it is intrinsically multidisciplinary. In this fashion, the results obtained from this work will be of interest to researchers in almost every science and engineering discipline. As such, the pool of students who may participate is naturally large. Since Rutgers-Camden is a diverse campus in a developing urban environment, the participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in this project is naturally facilitated. Finally, the training of undergraduate students and the postdoctoral fellow supported by this project will be enhanced by Rutgers-Camden's commitment to both undergraduate participation in research and close faculty mentoring.