Hybrid metal-containing conjugated materials

全球对替代能源和储存的需求不断增长，需要开发能够满足这一需求的新技术。对环境的关注产生了对能够即时检测有毒气体和污染物的新型化学传感器的需求。我们需要更小、更薄、更轻、更节能的电子设备来继续推进通信和显示技术。开发新的功能材料来满足这些需求是本研究项目的重点。将开发用于新兴传感器、能量收集和存储以及分子器件技术的材料。该项目的长期目标是通过结合共轭分子和聚合物（分子线）的光电行为与金属配合物和其他无机材料的化学、光学和电子性质，发现和应用具有新的和改进性能的材料。环境传感器、太阳能电池、分子开关和气体存储是这些新材料的应用目标。本研究计划的具体目标包括：(a)开发用于太阳能收集的新型含金属共轭材料；(b)制备新的金属基分子传感器，并评估其对化学分析物的响应；(c)制备新的纳米材料和包含共轭聚合物和低聚物的金属有机框架。将评估新发现材料的性质，并将有希望的候选材料纳入原型设备，以确定其应用的可行性。该项目将培养现代跨学科材料化学的学生和博士后，为他们在学术界和工业界的职业生涯做好准备。

The growing worldwide demand for alternative energy sources and storage requires the development of new technologies capable of addressing this demand. Environmental concerns have created a demand for new chemical sensors capable of instantaneous detection of toxic gases and pollutants. Smaller, thinner, lighter and less power-hungry electronic devices are needed to continue to advance communication and display technologies. The development of new functional materials to address these needs is the focus of this research program. Materials for emerging sensor, energy harvesting and storage, and molecular device technologies will be developed. Long term objectives of the program are to discover and apply materials which have new and improved properties, by combining the optoelectronic behavior of conjugated molecules and polymers (molecular wires) with the chemical, optical and electronic properties of metal complexes and other inorganic materials. Environmental sensors, solar cells, molecular switches, and gas storage are targeted as applications for these new materials. The specific goals of this proposed research program include: (a) development of new metal-containing conjugated materials for application in solar energy harvesting; (b) preparation of new metal-based molecular sensors, and evaluation of their response to chemical analytes and (c) preparation of new nanomaterials and metal-organic frameworks which incorporate conjugated polymers and oligomers. Properties of the newly discovered materials will be evaluated, and promising candidates incorporated into prototype devices to determine their viability for applications. This program will train students and postdoctoral fellows in modern interdisciplinary materials chemistry, preparing them for careers in academia and industry.