This project began three years ago with NSF funding for the preparation of conducting polymer nanofibers, for device fabrication based on these nanofibers, and for motivating undergraduate students to pursue graduate degrees in science and engineering. The nanofibers were fabricated using the electrospinning technique. In this renewal proposal, we will extend the past work done on device fabrication based on polymer nanofibers and also include the use of the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) to probe at the nanoscale level, the charge transport properties of these conducting polymer nanofibers. Polymer nanofibers will also be produced using the interfacial polymerization technique. Crossed polymer nanofibers will also be studied in order to understand the electrical properties of the resulting nanojunction, and how to join nanofibers together to form multiterminal devices and ultimately complex circuits.
The intellectual merit of this proposal is the ease with which nanofibers of conducting polymers can be prepared using the electrospinning technique or the interfacial polymerization technique as compared to other complex methods used to prepare for example carbon nanotubes. The processing and fabrication of devices based on conducting polymers is relatively easy and cheap. This has the potential of being able to fabricate large surface area flexible electronic devices. We will also use a biased AFM tip to locally probe (local gating) the conduction along the length of the polymer nanofiber in order to study the role of defects on electrical conduction and hence be able to shed additional light on the metallic state in conducting polymers. The use of the AFM as an active instrument in the electrical characterization of individual polymer nanofibers and crossed nanofibers has not been studied in detail as compared to carbon nanotubes and so the local gating effect proposed with the AFM is could lead to new results and suggest new experimental methods (using the AFM) of studying conducting polymers.
The broader impact of this proposal is significant. All of the experiments proposed are within the intellectual grasp of undergraduate students and are also aimed at motivating the students to pursue graduate studies in science and engineering. Modified experiments based on the proposed research are planned to be included into the Intermediate Laboratory course that the PI has taught for the last five years thus integrating research and education. The instrument requested in this proposal will strengthen the institutional infrastructure, increase faculty collaboration and also have a broader impact of improving the research facilities on the South-East part of the island. This proposal will also increase the number of undergraduate students that participate in scientific research and who are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering. Finally, the PI and his Departmental colleagues have written a proposal to the UPR board of directors to begin a new Master's program in Materials Science. This program will be unique on the island. By improving the research infrastructure and enhancing research collaboration within the Department, this proposal will help us reach a critical mass of faculty that are active in research and hence boost our chances of having a successful MS program in Materials Science.
