Presenter(s): Madelyn Scott
Faculty Mentor(s): Cathy Wong & Kelly Wilson
Oral Session 3 S
The electronic properties of organic molecules can be tuned to attain target electronic functionality. This feature of organic molecules enables their use in technologies like solar cells and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), in replacement of conventional silicon materials. The electronic properties of organic systems can change depending on way individual molecules pack together to form larger aggregate structures. Understanding how the behavior of organic molecules changes while molecular aggregation occurs enhances our insight into how target electronic functionality can be obtained by altering the environment of the molecular system. Conventional methods of studying the electronic properties of molecular systems are not equipped to measure evolving materials. To examine the changing electronic properties of materials systems, we have developed a single-shot transient absorption (SSTA) spectrometer capable of measuring structurally non-equilibrated samples, like molecules in a solution stacking into a final aggregate structure. However, evolving samples have changing background signals which can hinder SSTA measurements of the electronic properties of a sample. In this work, we demonstrate a shot-to- shot correction of dynamic background signals for SSTA measurements. Our correction scheme improves the robustness of SSTA for measurement of materials systems during molecular aggregation. Characterizing the electronic properties of organic semiconducting molecules during molecular aggregation will ultimately facilitate the achievement of target electronic properties for use in technological devices, like solar cells and LEDs, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in our contemporary society.