Molecular Photonic Materials

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

This award to Professor Gerald Meyer of Johns Hopkins University is a renewal of an earlier award and is supported by the Advanced Materials and Processing Program in the Chemistry Division. The focus of the award will be the determination of the fundamental mechanisms of excited states and photo-initiated interfacial electron transfers in novel photovoltaic materials based on sol-gel processed semiconducting materials. Also, characterizations of these materials for interfacial electron transfer reactions with excited-, ground- and reduced-state inorganic complexes will be carried out under this award. In addition, the studies to determine the steady state and time resolved spectroscopies along with mathematical modeling will be part of the award. The research in photo-driven iodine redox chemistry by steady state and transient optical and electrochemical methods will provide information for the design of highly efficient regenerative solar cells. The award will provide training to graduate and undergraduate students in this emerging field in applying material chemistry theory and applications for the development of efficient and low cost solar cells. Under this award, semiconducting materials will be characterized after preparing them by sol-gel processing. The award will study the mechanism of the electron transfer reactions in these semiconducting materials, which eventually will lead to low cost and efficient regenerative solar cells. Undergraduate and graduate education and training in material chemistry is part of the award.