Design and synthesis of organic semiconductors for advanced applications.
Abstract: Since their discovery over 40 years ago conjugated polymers have been of tremendous scientific and technological interest. These materials possess many exceptional electronic, optical and thermal properties and thus are well suited for organic semiconducting applications, such as solar cells and light emitting diodes. Unfortunately, there are several issues that have to be addressed before real-life products can be developed. Our group focuses on the design and synthesis of both polymeric and molecular organic semiconductors based from low cost and/or easily prepared starting materials. Since the properties of these materials can be readily modified through chemical synthesis, we have turned our attention towards the design and synthesis of novel building blocks. Our system of choice, benzobisazoles have many exceptional electronic, optical and thermal properties and thus are ideally suited for diverse organic semiconducting applications. Our group developed several new materials based on benzobisoxazoles including wide band gap materials for use in organic light-emitting diodes and narrow band gap materials for use in photovoltaic cells. We have also developed a versatile synthesis of benzodifuran, the oxygen analog of the popular electron rich building block benzodithiophene and are developing narrow band gap conjugated polymers based on it. Concurrently, we are also making molecular species based on this building block. Our work on the synthesis and properties and utility of these materials will be presented. Bio: Malika Jeffries-EL received BA degrees in Chemistry and Africana Studies at Wellesley College. She earned her Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in organic chemistry from The George Washington University. After spending one year at Smith College as a Mendenhall Fellow she then worked as a post-doctoral researcher under the direction of Professor Richard D. McCullough at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2005, she joined the faculty in the Chemistry Department at Iowa State University and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2012. In 2015 she was a Martin Luther King Jr. visiting professor with Professor Timothy Swager and she joined the Department of Chemistry and Division of Materials Science at Boston Univeristy in 2016.
Dr. Jeffries-EL's research focuses on the development of organic semiconductors–materials that combine the processing properties of polymers with the electronic properties of semiconductors. She has won numerous awards including the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award (2008), the Lloyd Ferguson Award from the National Organization of Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers (2009), NSF CAREER award (2009), the ACS-Women Chemist Committee Rising Star award (2012) and the Iota Sigma Pi Agnes Fay Morgan Award (2013). She is also a dedicated volunteer and has served in several activities within the American Chemical Society including the advisory board for the Women Chemist of Color Initiative. Molecular Engineering and Sciences Seminar Series This weekly seminar brings together students, faculty and invited guests from various disciplines across campus to explore current trends in molecular engineering and nanotechnology. It is a forum for active interdisciplinary discussions. These talks are open to the public and attract a diverse audience of students and faculty. |