Challenges include understanding the structural basis for catalyst activation, catalyst-cocatalyst ion pairing, and monomer enchainment. Closely connected studies focus on new polymerization processes and polymeric materials, such as functionalized, branched, and heteroatom-connected polyolefin chains. Our interdisciplinary materials chemistry program is divided into three parts. In the area of thin film photonic materials, we are synthesizing nanoscopic assemblies for doubling and modulating input light for high-speed data transmission. We are also self-assembling electroluminescent structures for advanced displays.
Characterization includes a wide array of structural probes and spectros copies.
We study the theory of molecular photonic phenomena in collaboration with Professor Mark Ratner. In the area of electrically functional materials, we focus on low-dimensional molecular assemblies in which intermolecular interactions are subject to rigorous chemical tuning. We study crystal and electronic structures by X-ray diffraction and magnetic susceptibility as well as by Raman, M ssbauer, ESR, NMR, and photoelectron spectroscopy. Electroceramics represents an exciting new area of solid-state chemistry. One challenge involves devising ways to synthesize high-quality films from the vapor phase.