Nano-engineering lattice dimensionality for a soft matter organic functional material

Stephanie J Benight; Daniel B Knorr Jr; Lewis E Johnson; Philip A Sullivan; David Lao; Jianing Sun; Lakshmi S Kocherlakota; Arumugasamy Elangovan; Bruce H Robinson; Rene M Overney; Larry R Dalton

doi:10.1002/adma.201104949

Nano-engineering lattice dimensionality for a soft matter organic functional material

Adv Mater. 2012 Jun 26;24(24):3263-8. doi: 10.1002/adma.201104949. Epub 2012 May 18.

Authors

Stephanie J Benight¹, Daniel B Knorr Jr, Lewis E Johnson, Philip A Sullivan, David Lao, Jianing Sun, Lakshmi S Kocherlakota, Arumugasamy Elangovan, Bruce H Robinson, Rene M Overney, Larry R Dalton

Affiliation

¹ University of Washington, Dept. of Chemistry, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

PMID: 22605547
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201104949

Abstract

A high performing electro-optic (EO) chromophore with covalently attached coumarin-based pendant groups exhibits intermolecular correlation of coumarin units through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Unique, orthogonal molecular orientations of the chromophore and coumarin units are also evident when investigated optically. Such molecular orientation translates to reduced lattice dimensionality of the bulk C1 soft matter material system, leading to increased acentric order and EO activity. Results are corroborated by nanorheological experimental methods.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Engineering / methods*
Molecular Conformation
Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Nanotechnology / methods*
Optical Phenomena
Organic Chemicals / chemistry*

Substances

Organic Chemicals