The University of Southern Mississippi

University of California

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Jason D Azoulay

Joshua Tropp

Naresh Eedugurala

Lifeng Huang

Tse Nga Ng

Alexander E London

Lulu Yao

Eric King

Guillermo C Bazan

Jarrett H Vella

Amar Flood

Yi Liu

Anthony Benasco

Yanika Schneider

Douglas V Amato

Mohammed I Vakil

Derek L Patton

Benjamin A Zhang

Vikash Kaphle

Embodiments of the presently disclosed technology provide a synergistic combination of a conjugated open-shell donor-acceptor polymer with a carbon-based compound (e.g., reduced graphene oxide) to produce a composite electrode material which demonstrates state-of-the-art capacitance and potential window, with excellent kinetics and cycle life. The conjugated open-shell donor-acceptor polymer may comprise a plurality of alternating electron-rich monomers (i.e., donors) and electron-deficient monomers (i.e., acceptors) bonded together via a conjugated backbone. The conjugated backbone may comprise a connection of π-orbitals of the plurality of monomers in alternating single and double bonds that facilitates unpaired electron delocalization—thereby stabilizing charge for the polymer. The carbon-based compound of the composite electrode material may provide porous, conductive scaffolds for the composite electrode material, resulting in electrodes scalable to microns-thick films with fast kinetics.

Ultrafast, high-energy supercapacitors with open-shell polymer-carbon-based compound composites

A semiconductor sensor device for detecting an analyte including a semiconducting layer, one or more organic molecules in the semiconducting layer, and one or more receptor molecules, comprising a poly-cyanostilbene macrocycle, wherein the one or more receptors is embedded within or onto the semiconducting layer of the semiconductor sensor device. Also disclosed is a method of preparing the semiconductor sensor device including a step of coupling the one or more receptor molecules into or onto the semiconducting layer of the semiconductor sensor device, a dielectric surface, or an electrode surface. Also described is chemical sensing device including the semiconductor sensor device and other elements of a sensing device.

Macrocycle embedded organic electronic materials, composites, and compositions for chemical sensing

A photoconductive infrared detector comprising a substrate, an electrode geometry, and a layer of intrinsically conductive or photoconductive donor-acceptor conjugated polymer.

Infrared detection with intrinsically conductive conjugated polymers

The invention provides for polymer structures and their preparation and resulting novel functionalities including open-shell character and high intrinsic conductivity with wide-range tenability. Electrical conductivity can be further modulated by introducing or blending with materials, fillers, dopants, and/or additives. The materials or resultant composites of the invention can be processed by various techniques into different forms to realize multiple applications.

Open-shell conjugated polymer conductors, composites, and compositions

Embodiments of the presently disclosed technology provide a synergistic combination of a conjugated open-shell donor-acceptor polymer with a carbon-based compound (e.g., reduced graphene oxide) to produce a composite electrode material which demonstrates state-of-the-art capacitance and potential window, with excellent kinetics and cycle life. The conjugated open-shell donor-acceptor polymer may comprise a plurality of alternating electron-rich monomers (i.e., donors) and electron-deficient monomers (i.e., acceptors) bonded together via a conjugated backbone. The conjugated backbone may comprise a connection of n-orbitals of the plurality of monomers in alternating single and double bonds that facilitates unpaired electron delocalization—thereby stabilizing charge for the polymer. The carbon-based compound of the composite electrode material may provide porous, conductive scaffolds for the composite electrode material, resulting in electrodes scalable to microns-thick films with fast kinetics.

The methods disclosed utilize &#x3c0;-conjugated polymers (CPs) as sensors for various analytes through the inner filter effect (IFE). Further, the methods utilize CPs with controlled optical properties for targeting sensing applications and operates through a novel IFE-based method, providing sensitive and selective sensors that operate in complex environments. The methods further provide calibration standards for the identification of similar and structurally distinct target analytes, where the analyte is a small molecule, macromolecule, and/or biological organism of interest.

Methods for detecting analytes using conjugated polymers and the inner filter effect

The present invention provides novel polymer compounds and methods and processes for polymerizing and synthesizing the new polymers by post-modifying conjugated polymers bearing unsaturated functionalities. The post-modifications are facilitated by light-mediated initiators, thermal initiators, redox-based initiators, small molecule-based initiators, or a combination thereof. Syntheses and post-modifications are carried out to high conversion via thiol-ene 'click' chemistry-based mechanisms. The products comprise monomeric, oligomeric, and polymeric materials with easily-accessible pendant functionalities which impart new, distinct, and/or improved properties.

Thiol-based post-modification of conjugated polymers

The present invention provides novel methods and processes for polymerizing unsaturated substrates, such as alkyne bearing monomers, with arenes. The polymerizations are catalyzed by gold (Au) catalysts/complexes and/or other cocatalysts. The invention further provides novel structurally complex polymers prepared in high yield via an intermolecular polyhydroarylation mechanism. Such resulting products comprise oligomeric and polymeric materials with novel molecular architectures and microstructures, which subsequently impart unique properties. The invention includes both the synthesis methods and processes and the resulting compounds and compositions of matter.

Gold catalyzed polymerization reactions of unsaturated substrates

The invention provides for new polymer compounds and methods for the preparation of modular narrow band gap conjugated compounds and polymers that incorporate exocyclic cross-conjugated donors or substituents, as well as novel monomer components of such polymers and the resulting products which comprise materials and useful electronic devices with novel functionality.

Narrow band gap conjugated polymers employing cross-conjugated donors useful in electronic devices

Metal-ligand combination initiators are provided which yield organometallic complexes capable of the polymerization of olefins to high molecular weight polymers. Additionally, these initiators also enable the copolymerization of olefins with functionalized comonomers. These organometallic complexes comprise of a late transition metal with a neutral chelating ligand that contains a Lewis basic functionality in conjugation with an electronically delocalized conduit extending from the metal to the functionality. This structural feature results in a highly active complex, which generates high molecular weight polymers with unique microstructures. Under particular conditions, the organometallic complexes provide for the living polymerization of monomers and comonomers.

Transition metal initiators supported by ketone diimine ligands for the homopolymerization of olefins and the copolymerization of olefins with polar comonomers

Growing community of inventors

Hattiesburg, MS, United States of America

Jason D Azoulay