FUNCTIONALIZED DIAMONDOIDS AND THEIR ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES FOR FIELD EMISSIONS

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program at NSF Division of Chemistry will support the international collaborative research project of Prof. Nicholas Melosh of Stanford University and Prof. Peter Schreiner of Justus-Liebig University Giessen. This international collaborative research project will examine the fundamental properties and applications of diamondoids, a newly discovered nanoscale form of carbon. Diamondoid molecules consist of 2-6 diamond cages fused together, combining both the remarkable properties of diamond with the uniformity and functionality of a nanomaterial. Profs. Melosh and Schreiner and their students will investigate how these materials can be chemically modified with high specificity, and determine how these molecular substituents affect electronic and structural behavior. Diamondoid properties ranging from dielectric constant, band gap, electron affinity, and energy level alignment will be measured using a combination of ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, field emission, microwave probes and electron tunneling. Diamondoids are unique model systems to examine how electronic structure develops in nanomaterials because they are molecularly pure, atomically uniform, and include a systematic sequence of sizes and shapes. Diamondoid thin films are expected to significantly impact technological applications involving electron emission, such as displays, based upon their similarity to hydrogen-terminated diamond. Field- and thermionic- electron emission from diamondoid surfaces will reveal how diamond and diamond-like structures enhance surface emission, which could lead to a new generation of robust displays and lighting. This international collaborative research project is supported jointly by NSF and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in Germany. The study is also supported by the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) at NSF.