Molecular Photonic Materials

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该研究奖在无机，生物无机和有机化学计划支持杰拉尔德迈耶教授在约翰霍普金斯大学的工作，进行分子水平的事件，发生在敏化半导体界面的基础/基础研究。 这项工作有一天可能导致从太阳能中有效地收集和储存能量。 研究人员利用时间分辨光谱技术来表征金属-配体电荷转移（MLCT）激发后发生的激发态和电子转移反应，这些反应是由宽带隙半导体TiO 2或绝缘体ZrO 2组成的高表面积介孔纳米晶薄膜所锚定的过渡金属化合物。 这些研究是在激发条件下进行的，其中平均而言，在每个金属氧化物纳米微晶上产生少于一个激发态，并且在代表一个太阳或更高稳态辐照度的条件下进行。 多个电子的存在下，在每个nanocrystallite深刻影响界面行为，即使基本原理知之甚少。 这项研究直接关系到一个长期目标，即确定有效地将阳光转化为有用形式的能量的材料。 如果成功，将实现一种对环境无害的能源，并产生巨大的经济和环境影响。 科学的广泛影响是有保证的，因为这一建议将培养年轻的科学家成为未来的专业人士，并建立跨学科材料化学的联系。 这些基础研究的结果被设想为有一天能够实现合理的分子水平设计的集成材料，能够收集阳光，电荷分离，并进行多电子转移催化，以形成有用的燃料。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This research award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports work by Professor Gerald Meyer at Johns Hopkins University to carry out fundamental/basic studies on molecular level events that occur at sensitized semiconductor interfaces. This work can one day lead to the efficient harvesting and storage of energy from the sun. The investigators utilize time resolved spectroscopic techniques to characterize excited states and electron transfer reactions that occur after metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excitation of transition metal compounds anchored to high surface area mesoporous nanocrystalline thin films comprised of the wide bandgap semiconductor anatase TiO2 or the insulator ZrO2. These studies are performed under excitation conditions where, on average, less than one excited state is created on each metal oxide nanocrystallite and under conditions representative of one sun or higher steady-state irradiances. The presence of multiple electrons in each nanocrystallite profoundly influences interfacial behavior even though the underlying principles are poorly understood. This research is directly related to a long-term goal of identifying materials that efficiently convert sunlight into useful forms of energy. If successful, an environmentally benign energy resource would be realized with an enormous economic and environmental impact. Scientifically a broad impact is assured as this proposal will train young scientists to be future professionals and forge links to interdisciplinary materials chemistry. Results from these fundamental studies are envisioned to one day enable the rational molecular-level design of integrated materials capable of harvesting sunlight, charge separation, and performing multi-electron transfer catalysis to form useful fuels.