In this award, supported by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Prof. Christopher Bardeen of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign will conduct research on energy transport (exciton diffusion) in amorphous and polycrystalline conjugated organic solids. The dynamics of transport will be studied using a variety of ultrafast laser techniques. The ultimate goal of this work is to develop a unified picture of the mechanisms that govern energy transport in these materials.
Besides the applications of the present work towards developing better practical organic electronic materials, the proposed research will help to train undergraduate and graduate students in an area that has promise of becoming an important area of chemical research. In addition, Prof. Bardeen will implement an outreach program for beginning chemistry students, to teach them about the research that is being carried out, in the context of solar cells and alternative energy production. Prof. Bardeen will make the materials developed as a part of this outreach effort freely available on a website.
