Polar, Ionic and Reactive Liquid Crystalline Materials for Electrooptical, Battery, and Sensor Applications

技术摘要：拟议的研究是当前NSF奖的延续，涉及液晶材料的设计、合成和研究，这些材料独特地适合于解决液晶领域的基本问题和应用问题。 所提出的材料是含有硼团簇的液晶，这是一类显示出不寻常的空间和电子特性的化合物。 由于这些材料具有满足现代社会技术需求的潜力，因此该项目有两个相关的目标：开发用于平板显示器的新材料和用于可充电锂离子电池的新型液晶电解质。该项目涉及新材料的分子设计，辅助量子力学计算，无机/有机合成方法，结构-性能关系研究，电光特性和离子迁移率调查。非技术概要：这个多学科计划是针对新的先进分子材料的发展，解决液晶领域的基本问题，并在平板显示器和可充电电池的应用。 该设计涉及独特的有机-无机混合分子，将使用广泛的现代研究工具进行合成和研究。 这项工作将影响科学和工程的多个领域，并有望影响LCD和储能技术。它将为相关人员（本科生和研究生以及博士后工作者）提供极好的机会，通过国内和国际合作获得现代材料化学方面的广泛培训，其中包括LCD行业（例如科罗拉多的Vision）。

TECHNICAL SUMMARY:The proposed research is a continuation of the current NSF award and involves the design, synthesis, and study of liquid crystalline materials that are uniquely suited to address fundamental questions and applied problems in the field of liquid crystals. The proposed materials are nematic liquid crystals containing boron clusters, a class of compounds that displays unusual steric and electronic properties. Because these materials have the potential to meet technological needs in modern society, the project has two related goals: the development of new materials for applications in flat panel displays and new liquid crystalline electrolytes for rechargeable Li+ ion batteries. The project involves the molecular design of new materials aided by quantum-mechanical calculations, inorganic/organic synthetic methods, structure-property relationship studies, electrooptical characterization and ion mobility investigations.NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This multidisciplinary program is directed at the development of new advanced molecular materials for addressing fundamental questions in the field of liquid crystals and for applications in flat panel displays and rechargeable batteries. The design involves unique organic-inorganic hybrid molecules, which will be synthesized and investigated using a broad array of modern research tools. The proposed work will affect a number of areas of science and engineering, and is expected to impact LCD and energy storage technologies. It will provide excellent opportunities for the involved personnel (undergraduate and graduate students and also postdoctoral workers) to obtain broad training in modern materials chemistry through domestic and international collaborations, which include the LCD industry (e.g. Vision in Colorado).