Malika Jeffries-EL
Organic Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry
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Research Interests
Since their discovery over 30 years ago conjugated polymers have been heralded as futuristic materials that will lead to the development of "plastic electronics". In order to realize the full potential of these materials, they must be engineered at the molecular level allowing for optimization of materials properties, leading to enhanced performance in variety of applications.
As an organic chemist my approach to materials begins with small molecules. My lab will investigate the design and synthesis of novel pi-conjugated polymers and the study of their properties in order to develop an understanding of the relationship between polymer structure and its properties. I am primarily interested in the design and synthesis of new monomers, thus leading to the development of novel polymers. I am also interested in the development of new approaches toward materials synthesis such as applying combinatorial chemistry toward conjugated materials synthesis and the creation of new polymer architectures.
This research involves a number of inter-related projects, the first is the synthesis of a small library of functionalized 3-alkylthiophene monomers, which will be used as building blocks in the solution phase parallel synthesis of random poly(3-alkylthiophene) copolymers. The use of combinatorial synthesis will allow for the rapid synthesis of the large variety of polymers required for a sensor array. Such sensors could be used as chemoresistors, transistors, and chromic sensors. In the second project we will synthesize polythiophenes with terminal thiol groups to bind to gold surfaces and derivatize the other end with groups suitable for interaction with biological moieties. Materials of this type will serve as an interface between biological and mechanical systems, consequently allowing for a flow of electrons between them. In the last project we will explore the incorporation of conjugated chromophores into non-conjugated matrixes. The chromophores will determine the optical properties of the material, whereas the polymer component will determine the physical properties of the material allowing for the optimization of these parameters independently. These properties of these materials will be optimized for perfomance in organic light-emitting diodes (OLED's)
