The field of molecular electronics includes the study of conjugated oligomers and
polymers that have significant potential for use in devices such as light emitting diodes
(LEDS), field effect transistors (FETS), and photovoltaic solar cells. These materials may
replace inorganic semiconductors in these devices, Achieving better device performance
through lowering the band-gap and achieving higher field effect mobilities will benefit
from a greater fundamental understanding of charge transfer through the aromatic
subunits. π-stacking of segments of conjugated polymers has been identified as a key
feature that influences the charge transfer through semiconducting organic materials.
Optimizing the molecular architecture of conjugated polymers has the potential to
provide materials with better charge mobility. While devices might benefit from materials
that take advantage of π-stacking, access to π-stacked structures presents a synthetic
challenge. 1,8-Disubstituted naphthalenes may serve as simple covalent bridging
scaffolds which might hold conjugated oligomers in a π-stacked arrangement. The
research described in this thesis focuses on the synthesis of well-defined phenylene
ethynylene oligomers coupled to naphthalene to serve as experimental models of closely
π-stacked aromatic units in conjugated polymers. The π-stacked molecules reported in
this dissertation are characterized by NMR, IR, and mass spectrometry. The effects of π-
stacking on the structure and behavior of conjugated oligomers are determined by X-ray
crystallography, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:GATECH/oai:smartech.gatech.edu:1853/41074 |
| Date | 11 May 2010 |
| Creators | Carson, Bradley Edward |
| Publisher | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Source Sets | Georgia Tech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Archive |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
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