Macro- and Bio-Molecular Interfaces

Rudy Schlaf, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Abstract: Applications of macro/bio-molecules such as semiconducting polymers or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in electronic and sensing devices have recently sparked intense research to determine their materials properties for engineering purposes. Especially density of states, conductivity and interface properties are of interest, if these materials are to be integrated into electronic devices.

The presented experimental results demonstrate the determination of the chemical and electronic structure of interfaces between macro-molecules and inorganic materials to determine charge injection barriers across the interfaces, the electronic structure of the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO), and the chemical interaction between the materials in contact. The method used is photoemission spectroscopy (PES) in combination with a multi-step electrospray based deposition procedure of the macro-molecular material directly from solution in order to obtain pure and non-contaminated interfaces suitable for PES measurements. The presentation will introduce the experimental procedures and discuss select experiments on macro-molecular interfaces.

About the speaker: Rudy Schlaf received his PhD degree in physics from the Technical University of Berlin, Germany in August 1995. Currently he is an Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department of University of South Florida, Tampa, FL. His research focuses on the application of surface scientific techniques on molecular and nano structured materials.

For more information please see: USF Surface Science Laboratory