Graduate Research Assistant ,Department of chemistry, The University of Chicago.
1. Synthesis of Functionalized Polyimides:
Design, synthesis, and characterization of novel polyimides functionalized with nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores, which exhibit a high thermal stability and large nonlinearity.
2. Polyesterimides:
Design, synthesis and characterization of novel polyesterimides bearing NLO chromophores with a large optical nonlinearity. The approach involves a multiple step synthesis of new monomers.
3. Self-Assembled Supramolecular Materials:
Design and synthesis of novel NLO self assembled supramolecular materials based on hydrogen bonding. Different monomers were synthesized and various NLO chromophores were incorporated. These novel systems exhibited a large optical nonlinearity coefficients (r33 = 70 pm/V). This r33 value is one of the largest values reported.
4. Electroluminescent polymers for light-emitting diodes(LEDs):
Synthesis of light-emitting materials. Various conjugated polymers such as, Polyphenylenethiophene and the novel polyphenylenefuran, were synthesized by utilizing the Stille coupling reaction. Their luminescence properties, photochemical stability and quantum efficiency were studied in details.