NSF IRES Track 1: Nanomaterials for Next-Generation Functional Molecular Electronics Program at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe, Germany and the University

Doane University, Crete NE

Investigators

Abstract

U.S. undergraduate students from Doane University and an alliance of midwestern schools will conduct research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Karlsruhe and the University of Bayreuth (UBT) in Bayreuth. The proposed research seeks to design, synthesize, and study inorganic, organic, and bioorganic materials for next-generation functional molecular electronics. Organic and bioorganic materials present a versatile and unique opportunity for exploring new concepts in electronics, spintronics, and related technologies. The research is relevant to solar energy generation, storage, organic field-effect transistors, and even biomedical applications. Students will receive enhanced professional training and exposure to world-class researchers and facilities, in addition to experiencing international-level teamwork and post-research activities, including networking opportunities. This project will also increase the involvement of underrepresented minority students in undergraduate research through targeted recruiting at Doane and through the NSF-funded the Iowa-Illinois-Nebraska STEM Partnership for Innovation in Research and Education (IINSPIRE) Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). The inclusion of Alliance students will strengthen existing connections and build networks for further collaboration between students and campuses in the Alliance and could serve as a model for future projects. Participation in research experiences by students from groups underrepresented in the physical sciences increases the likelihood that they will persist in their STEM studies and pursue advanced STEM degrees. This project serves the national interest by (1) promoting the progress of science in critical areas such as energy independence and electronic materials for computing and devices, and (2) increasing the future prosperity and welfare of students entering the STEM workforce by providing high-quality training and professional development, especially for underrepresented individuals and students from small colleges and universities that do not have advanced research capabilities. The Doane IRES KIT-UBT will provide fifteen U.S. undergraduate students with eight-week research experiences in Germany at KIT and UBT. This project will help accelerate the development of molecular-defined low-dimensional materials which may enable new organic, inorganic, and bioorganic electronics devices, organic logic devices, single-molecule transistors, dipolar logic, and other devices where the electronic properties depend on the behavior and the polarization of single molecules. Developing an accessible technology like inkjet printing for energy creation materials could further the future of energy independence and resilience. IRES KIT-UBT students will (1) receive rigorous training in preparation for research; (2) conduct publishable research in materials for molecular electronics; (3) increase individual cultural competency; and (4) receive enhanced professional development that promotes scientific literacy, college success, and pursuit of STEM careers. Students will be well-prepared to conduct research at KIT and UBT through pre-departure activities, including a semester-long research preparation course that includes language and culture instruction, a week-long site visit at Doane from host faculty, and participation in a research orientation session at Doane. Continued mentoring and professional development after the research experience will be achieved through participation in STEM seminars, local and national STEM conferences to present research results, continued research with mentors at students' home institutions or new research projects, and the publishing of research results. The organic materials explored in the research projects are expected to be relevant for the development of nanoscale molecular electronics. Students will utilize scanning probe lithography, dip-pen nanolithography, inkjet and slot-die printing, in-situ absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy during spin-coating, self-organizing liquids, and instrumentation to create and investigate properties of nanomaterials such as graphene nanoribbons, ferroelectric organic thin films, and functionalized organic polymer films and functionalized graphene. The outcomes of this research are expected to yield general design principles and new strategies that will guide the development of new materials. Through communication of results and promotion of the program by the students and faculty involved, expanded public knowledge of material development for molecular electronics, STEM research, and the IRES program will result. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.