Magnetic, electronic and optical properties of multifunctional main group radicals

能源日益昂贵，基于轻便、灵活、低功耗技术的各种设备已经使用了“少做多做”的方法，包括屏幕显示中的有机发光二极管和用于集光的低成本有机太阳能电池。在现代设备中使用有机组件源于它们的灵活性和廉价的加工，以及通过化学修饰来调整其特性的能力。尽管取得了长足的进步，但固态有机电子领域仍有许多根本性的挑战有待解决。对于结晶有机固体，固态结构最终决定了它们的功能。然而，控制分子在固态中的排列仍然是一个重大挑战，这是由分子之间一系列相当弱的相互作用决定的。识别出更强的相互作用，即所谓的“超分子合成子”，有可能导致新材料的编程，使分子以特定的排列方式配置，使其性质得到优化。我们的研究集中在一类具有潜在重要电子(半导体、光学和磁性)性质的有机分子上。我们的长期目标是识别和实施这一有机分子家族中的强超分子相互作用，以控制它们的固态结构和优化它们的性质。在目前的提案中，我们的目标是：a)确定并实现不同分子之间的强大相互作用，这些分子可用于制备“共晶”，其中每个分子带来不同的行为(光可寻址、磁性、导电)。然后，我们将探索新复合材料中每个组件的行为之间的相互作用。B)开发将光学和电学性质安装在同一分子中的多功能分子。然后，我们将调查组件之间的独立或协作行为。C)准备一种新的可电子寻址的分子家族，称为“非无辜配体”，可以与金属结合。我们将研究配体和金属之间的磁性相互作用，并研究如何通过光学来解决这一问题。这项基础研究将确定应对分子材料科学当代挑战的方法，导致原型设备的制造和测试，同时培养能够为加拿大劳动力做出贡献的高素质科学家。

Energy is increasingly expensive and a "do more for less" approach is already used in a variety of devices based on lightweight, flexible, low power technology, including organic light emitting diodes in screen displays and low cost organic solar cells for light-harvesting. The use of organic components in modern devices arises from their flexibility and cheap processing, alongside an ability to tailor their properties through chemical modification. Despite considerable advances, there are many fundamental challenges still to be met in the field of solid-state organic electronics. For crystalline organic solids, the solid-state architecture ultimately dictates their function. Yet controlling the arrangement of molecules in the solid state continues to be a major challenge, determined by a set of rather weak interactions between molecules. The identification of more robust interactions, so-called "supramolecular synthons", has the potential to lead to new materials programmed to configure molecules in specific arrangements in which their properties are optimized. Our research focuses on a family of organic molecules with potentially important electronic (semiconducting, optical and magnetic) properties. Our long-term objectives are to identify and implement strong supramolecular interactions within this family of organic molecules to control their solid-state structures and optimize their properties. In the current proposal, we aim to: a)Identify and implement robust interactions between different molecules which can be used to prepare `co-crystals' in which each molecule brings different behavior (light addressable, magnetic, conducting). We will then explore the interplay between the behavior of each component in the new composite material. b)Develop multi-functional molecules in which optical and electronic properties are installed into the same molecule. We will then investigate independent or cooperative behavior between the components. c)Prepare a new family of electronically addressable molecules known as "non-innocent ligands" which can bind to metals. We will examine the magnetic interplay between the ligand and the metal and investigate how this can be optically addressed. This fundamental research will identify approaches to address contemporary challenges in molecular materials science, lead to the fabrication and testing of prototype devices, while simultaneously training high caliber scientists who can contribute to the Canadian workforce.