CBE - Organic Mixed Ionic Electronic Conductor Research
Organic mixed ionic electronic conductors (OMIECs) are polymers (plastics) that efficiently transport and couple both ionic (salt) and electronic charge (electricity). This ionic-electronic coupling enables devices with unique functionality such as energy storage electrodes, synthetic neurons, soft robotics, and electrochromics to name a few applications. Students engaged in this project with broadly study and develop new OMIEC materials and devices with a variety of fabrication and characterization techniques. With respect to fabrication, students will have the opportunity to employ various coating methods (spin-, blade-, slot/die-, and dip-coating) to produce nanometer scale thin films. With respect to characterization, students will have the opportunity to employ optical, spectroscopic, and electrochemical methods to measure the properties of these OMIEC thin films.
Students should join this lab if they desire to be part of a young and energetic team studying cutting edge materials for electronic, biomedical, and energy applications. This project provides the opportunity to learn many fabrication and measurement tools used in research and industry. Adequate progress on this project will ensure co-authorship on papers employing the materials and devices developed.