Non-Technical Abstract: There is an increasing need for more cost-effective, portable methods to measure and identify molecular species related to the environment, health, and industrial processes. Traditional analytical instruments often require a skilled operator and are expensive and bulky. This research seeks to make advances in these measurement methods by creating new electronic nanomaterials that enable the formation of highly specific chemical sensors. Key to creating selectivity in such materials is the ability to tailor the chemical environment so that they interact or react with the molecule of interest. New chemical reactions will be developed to attach groups to carbon nanotubes and create nanowires that will conduct more or less electrical current in response to the presence of a target molecule. Sensors empowered by these new nanomaterials can be lightweight, have very low power requirements, and can be the basis of new generations of functional materials. Nanostructured materials will be developed that detect toxic or biologically active chemicals that can be encountered in the workplace or at home.
This project will create new functional carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphenes by developing/improving reactions that lead to the covalent attachment of different groups to the graphene pi-surfaces. These methods will expand the diversity of functional groups that can be attached and enable novel material concepts and functional interfaces. New functionalization methods will be developed using reactive intermediates such as fluorinated carbenes and nitrenes. We will direct our efforts by determining the impact of functionalization on the mobility of the carriers in the materials. It has been theoretically predicted that the products from carbenes and nitrenes will result in minimal perturbations to the extended electronic structure. In addition to perfecting and extending the methods initiated previously, this program will explore the covalent attachment of more complex molecular scaffolds that can create binding sites for molecules of interest. The functional nature of the target materials provides natural transitions to impactful, real-world applications. These include transduction materials that enable wearable sensors for workers who may be exposed to harmful chemicals in chemical/polymer production and/or coating processes. Creating soluble forms of SWCNTs and graphene opens a wide range of opportunities for fabrication of organic electronics for the selective assembly at interfaces.
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.
