Expected educational outcomes Students will gain an introduction to the concepts of photoluminescence, spectroscopy, and semiconducting polymers. Students will learn how to use a spectrometer to make a photoluminescence measurement. Students will learn how to measure the photoluminescence spectra of a semiconducting polymer. Students will learn how photoluminescence spectra depend on chemical structure and material morphology. The procedure consists of shining UV light onto each sample and recording the photoluminescence spectrum using the Ocean Optics spectrometer.
Students then plot their results and compare the spectra.
Prepared by David Braun and Linda Vanasupa of Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo.