Designing Radical Polymers with Tailored Magneto-Responsive Properties
Abstract
While polymers (i.e., plastics) are commonly used as structural materials and barrier coatings, these materials are electronically and magnetically inactive. On the other hand, a subset of macromolecules are capable of conducting charge and being responsive in a magnetic field. This, combined with the weak spin-orbit coupling observed in carbon-based systems, opens tremendous possibilities in terms of next-generation electronic, magnetic, and spin devices. Thus, there is a large opportunity to revolutionize the spintronic and quantum materials communities with designer plastics tailored for charge transport, magnetic field-dependent, and spintronic applications. This effort will focus on a subset of these active materials known as radical polymers. Radical polymers (i.e., macromolecules that lack conjugated backbones and with stable open-shell groups at their pendant sites) are intrinsic (i.e., not doped) conductive polymers that show magnetic behavior. This particular combination of properties make open-shell macromolecules exciting for electronic and spintronic devices. Despite the great promise of these next-generation materials, the fundamental structure-property-performance relationships that guide their potential utilization in high-performance modules have not been established. This project will address this opportunity in a direct manner using a combined computational and experimental approach. Specifically, molecular dynamics simulations will inform the design and synthesis of future radical polymers. After the tailored synthesis of these macromolecules, the materials will be characterized in full in terms of their molecular, thermal, optoelectronic, magnetic field-dependent, and spin properties. Moreover, computation and experiment will be combined to determine how the design motifs and solid-state structure impact the spin interactions in radical polymers. By controlling these properties in a robust manner, flexible spintronic devices will be had.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 29, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310240
Entities
People
- Bryan W Boudouris
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Purdue University
- United States Air Force