Main Group Materials with Unique Electronic and Optical Properties

通过这一奖项，化学合成计划支持凯斯西储大学的John Protasiewicz教授制备共轭主族元素化合物，以研究较重元素的同一性如何影响其光物理性质(光吸收和光发射)。本工作主要研究磷、锑、铋等15族元素化合物的合成。共轭体系的研究可以设计出具有特殊荧光和磷光特性的新材料，这有助于设计和开发在能源、显示和照明行业具有潜在高影响力的材料。Protasiewicz教授将整合该项目的研究和教育部分，与联合国儿童基金会-默克基金会资助的博士后研究员合作，在该大学的Leonard Gelfand STEM中心的赞助下，开展一系列外展和STEM活动，以促进科学的多样性。研究生和本科生将接受跨学科领域的教育和培训。在这项研究中，将开发合成共轭主族化合物的新方法。由于共轭材料的电子结构可通过合成操作高度可调，因此将获得一系列的光物理和氧化还原性质。这项研究将有助于光致发光和电致发光材料的设计。我们将对它们各自的电子性质进行研究和表征，特别关注OLED和光伏应用中可能感兴趣的材料。与含有重金属过渡金属元素的相关化合物相比，有机铋化合物可能提供磷光、毒性较低、可持续和更经济的材料。一些杂环化合物具有不寻常的主基团--碳双键。光物理性质将与结构和理论结果相关联。

With this award, the Chemical Synthesis program is supporting Professor John Protasiewicz of Case Western Reserve University to prepare conjugated main group element compounds to investigate how the identity of the heavier elements influence their photophysical properties (light absorption and light emission). This work focuses on the synthesis of compounds with group 15 elements such as phosphorus, antimony and bismuth. The investigation of conjugated systems allows the design of new materials that display unusual fluorescence and phosphorescence properties, which can aid the design and development of materials with potentially high impact in the energy, display, and lighting industries. Professor Protasiewicz will integrate the research and educational components of this project by working with a UNCF-Merck funded postdoctoral fellow, under the auspices of the university's the Leonard Gelfand STEM Center, to carry out a series of outreach and STEM activities to promote diversity in the sciences. Graduate and undergraduate students will receive education and training in interdisciplinary areas.In this research, new methods will be developed for the synthesis of conjugated main group compounds. As the electronic structure of conjugated materials is highly tunable by synthetic manipulation, a range of photophysical and redox properties will be accessed. This research will facilitate the design of materials that are photo- and electro-luminescent. Their individual electronic properties will be investigated and characterized, with particular attention to materials of potential interest for OLED and photovoltaic applications. Organo-bismuth compounds may offer materials that are phosphorescent and that are less toxic, sustainable, and more economical than related compounds having heavy transition metal elements. A number of heterocyclic compounds feature unusual main group-carbon double bonds. Photo-physical properties will be correlated with structural and theoretical results.