ortho-Phenylene Oligomers and Graphene Nanoribbons

Miami University, Oxford OH

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This project focuses on the synthesis and characterization of two new classes of conjugated oligomers, as the next-generation technologies require the manipulation of charge and energy of new organic materials with unusual conjugated features on the nanoscale. Specifically, methods will be developed for the synthesis of ortho-phenylene oligomers, which will be used as substrates for oxidative planarization to graphene-based nanostructures. The project encompasses both the development of synthetic methods and the characterization of the resulting materials in terms of their electronic structure, conformational behavior, and supramolecular self-assembly. With this award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research of Professor Christopher S. Hartley of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Professor Hartley's research efforts focus on the preparation and study of organic molecules with unusual electronic structure. These materials have great potential for applications including photovoltaics, organic electronics, and single-molecule devices.