Excited State Dynamics in Diblock pi-Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers
Abstract
Organic diblock pi-conjugated oligomers are molecular semiconductors that mimic the properties of semiconductor junctions that are key to microelectronic devices. Diblock oligomers feature electron energy levels that are offset in specific ways giving rise to properties that could be useful in molecular electronic devices. Diblock oligomers exhibit diode-like electronic rectification behavior and they undergo photon-driven charge transfer that is a fundamental step in solar cells. When a diblock oligomer is immobilized at a metal oxide semiconductor interface, photon wavelength (color) allows selective control of the electronic impulse. This proposal seeks to carry out a fundamental investigation of structure-property relationships for series of carefully designed diblock pi-conjugated oligomers and selected structurally-related pi-conjugated polymers. The goal is to understand the relationship between the electron energy offsets between the diblock segments and the properties of the oligomers (or analogous polymers) in their electronic excited states. Two broad types of diblock oligomers will be designed and studied- type I where the frontier electron energy levels for the two segments are nested , and type II where the electron energy levels are offset . The investigation will involve spectroscopic studies of diblock oligomers with type I and type II frontier orbital offsets in solution to correlate their excited state electronic structure and dynamics at the molecular level. Further, a series of diblock oligomers that are functionalized with rigid, multipoint chemical anchors to control the molecule-interface structure will be studied at n-type and p-type metal oxide semiconductors. Finally, the insights gained from the study of diblock oligomers in solution and at metal oxide interfaces will be leveraged to provide insight into their excited state properties in the solid state.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 07, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310567
Entities
People
- Kirk Sullivan Schanze
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Texas at San Antonio