Tuning intermolecular distance to achieve tunable fluorescence

How to Apply

Interested in participating in this research project? Contact the professor or graduate student listed below.

Professor

Dr. Tianbo Liu (Polymer Science) | tliu@uakron.edu

Graduate Student

Xinyu Sun | xs13@zips.uakron.edu

Project Description

Controlling and measuring the intermolecular distance in supramolecular structures are important as well as challenaging. To achive both at the same time, we are chemically incorporating an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminophore into a charged macromoleculre, which can self-assemble into stable supramolecular structures of different intermolecular distances through the careful regulation of the physical interactions between the building blocks. The adjustable intermolecular diastances in these structures are within 1.0 nm, and they are normally difficult to tell using traditional methods. Due to the sensitivity of the fluorescence emission to the microenvironment, the tethered AIE luminophore is designed to indicate this micro-distance change in assembly states through the tunable emission intensity and wavelength.

Project Dates

Fall 2019 and Spring 2020

Search Terms

Advanced Materials, Non-Credit, Funded, STEM