Development of Photoactive Materials: Synthesis, Photochemistry and Photophysics

该研究计划的目标是开发与光相互作用的先进材料，以产生新的重要特性和应用。 先进材料对于新技术和制造工艺至关重要，其开发始于对材料基本电离子特性的基本理解。 该研究计划旨在实现显示器、抗菌纺织品、生物成像和能量收集等领域的多种应用，其共同主题是所有应用都涉及与光的相互作用。为实现这一目标，将探讨三个主题。 第一个主题涉及光功能和可调有机发色团和荧光团的发展，其目标是在能量收集，显示和成像中的应用。 该主题将建立在过去六年研究计划的发现基础上，旨在揭示这些新材料与光相互作用的新范式。 在第二个主题中，将开发光活性金属配合物用于染料敏化太阳能电池。 主要目标是使用更便宜和更容易获得的第一行过渡金属用于这些替代太阳能收集应用。 最后一个主题侧重于聚硅氧烷和其他聚合物的光化学交联。 这种方法可用于3D打印聚合物，并将检查这些交联聚合物的抗微生物和抗病毒特性。 织物和纺织品基材上的交联将用于制造新的改性材料，这些材料在服装和医疗纺织品行业具有潜在的应用。 先进制造业是加拿大创新和技能计划的六大优先领域之一。新材料的开发是先进制造业的支柱，对创新型国家的经济增长至关重要。该提案的目标与该计划高度一致，并使我们能够对最终影响创造就业机会，创建初创公司和转型技术的领域产生特殊影响。

The objective of this research program is to develop advanced materials which interact with light to give rise to new and important properties and applications.  Advanced materials are critical for new technologies and manufacturing processes, and their development begins with a fundamental understanding of the underlying electroinic properties of the materials.  The research program is directed towards diverse applications in displays, anti-microbial textiles, biological imaging and energy harvesting, with the common theme that all applications involve interactions with light. Three themes will be pursued towards this objective.  The first theme involves the development of photofunctional and tunable organic chromophores and fluorophores which will target applications in energy harvesting, displays and imaging.  This theme will build on discoveries in the research program over the last six years, and aims to uncover new paradigms in the interaction of these new materials with light.  In the second theme, photoactive metal complexes will be developed for application in dye-sensitized solar cells.  The major aim will be to use cheaper and more readily available first row transition metals for these alternative solar energy harvesting applications.  The final theme focuses on photochemical cross-linking of polysiloxanes and other polymers.  This approach can be used to 3D print polymers, and the anti-microbial and anti-viral properties of these cross-linked polymers will be examined.  Cross-linking on fabric and textile substrates will be used to make new modified materials with potential applications in the clothing and medical textile industries.   Advanced manufacturing is one of six priority area in the Innovation and Skills Plan of Canada. The development of new materials is a pillar of advanced manufacturing and critical to economic growth in an innovative country. The objectives of this proposal are strongly aligned with this plan, and position us to have exceptional impact to the field ultimately impacting on job creation, creation of start-up companies, and transformational technologies.