Self-Assembly in Conducting Polymer Nanostructures and Superstructures

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

This award to Carnegie-Mellon University is supported by the Advanced Materials Program In the Chemistry Division.The goal of the research by Professor Richard D. McCullough is to design, synthesize, assemble and engineer new defect-free, regioregular polythiophenes in order to denonstrate and understand self-assembly in conjugated polymers as a way to optimize material properties and to create new functional properties. New synthetic routes will be developed and new insights into structure-property relationships wil be gained. Specific targets will be the development of new regioregular, amphiphilic polythiophene coplymers and polythiophene polyelectrolytes, the synthesis of new multifunctional polymers that have high conductivities, good mechanical properties and environmental stability, and the development of sensors and biosensors based on new polythiophene materials. Regioregular polythiophenes are well-defined conducting polymers whose properties can be tuned to novel applications such as ink-jet printing, wires and contacts, polymer switches and colorimetric biosensors. The scope of the research in synthesis, characterization, fabrication and performance measurement will provide students with broad interdisciplinary training.