Project Description: |
One class of semiconducting polymers, poly(arylenevinylenes) can emit light through electroluminescence. Poly(arylenevinylenes) are now used as components in organic light emitting diodes (OLED’s), light emitting electrochemical cells (LEC’s) and in electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL). Our goal is to prepare highly conjugated compounds and polymers for device applications. Incoming students will be given a monomer or group of monomers that will become their responsibility to prepare through approximately 3-4 step synthetic sequences and will then polymerize them. Nonpolymeric compounds will also be prepared. The students will be responsible for the planning, execution and standard characterization of the materials including gel permeation chromatography for the polymers. The focus of this group is organic synthesis, so students should have had one year of organic chemistry lecture and lab. Once the compounds are made and characterized, the compounds will be tested for potential device applications. Students will present their research to the Department orally and at a regional undergraduate poster session and will be involved in preparing the work for publication when appropriate. |
