Project Overview
Photophysical Investigation of Fluorescent Molecules in Various Chemical Environments
Department(s)
Chemistry
Abstract
Light-matter interactions provide insight into the properties of materials. The wavelength dependence of these interactions is the basis of spectroscopy, allowing us to probe chemical properties in a wide range of systems. Once a molecule is excited with light, it can undergo chemical changes or reemit light via fluorescence or phosphorescence, which are described as the molecular photophysics. This summer, we will focus on studying the photophysical properties of tetraphenylethylene (TPE) and its derivatives in a variety of chemical environments. TPE is a prototypical aggregation induced emitter, with increased fluorescence upon aggregation. To study the photophysical properties, we will use a variety of spectroscopic measurements, such as UV-Visible Absorption, Fluorescence, and Transient Absorption. These will make use of both commercial and home-built instrumentation, which will provide opportunities to learn some basic optics and strengthen understanding of commercial spectrometers. As data is collected, we will also write analysis programs using Matlab, providing the opportunity to learn basic coding skills. Interested students could also perform basic computational chemistry calculations to determine the states of the molecule accessed during spectroscopic measurements.
Student Qualifications
General chemsitry
Project Length
8-10 weeks
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