is a and an associate professor in the at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Her research seeks to understand and control multiscale molecular assembly processes to achieve sustainable manufacturing of materials and devices for environment, energy, and healthcare applications, including therapeutic products. Molecular assembly, where a set of inanimate molecules can form structures with ever-evolving complexity and emergent properties, is inextricably linked to the origin of life. With the advent of modern drug development, the rise of nanotechnology, and most recently the renaissance in energy research, the field has resurged into prominence.
The , started in 2015 at UIUC, aims to understand the assembly of organic functional materials and innovate printing approaches that enable structural control down to the molecular and nanoscales.
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14-Feb-2024 02:00:14 PM EST
“Our research brings semiconductors to life by unlocking the same dynamic qualities that natural organisms like viruses use to adapt and survive."
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“Since organic electronics are made from the same basic elements as living beings, like people, they unlock many new possibilities for applications. In the future, organic electronics might be able to attach to our brains to enhance cognition or, be worn like a Band-aid to convert our body heat into electricity.â€
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“Chirality is a fascinating biological property. The function of many biomolecules is directly linked to their chirality. Take the protein complexes involved in photosynthesis. When electrons move through the proteins’ spiraled structures, an effective magnetic field is generated that helps separate bound charges created by light. This means that light can be converted into biochemicals more efficiently."
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“Organic solar cells can be printed at high speed and low cost, using very little energy. Imagine that one day, solar cells are as cheap as newspapers, and you could fold one up and carry it around in your backpack."
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“Now that we’ve unlocked the potential for chiral conjugated polymers, we can apply that biological property to solar cells and other electronics, learning from how chirality enhances photosynthesis in nature. With more efficient organic solar cells that can be manufactured so quickly, we can potentially generate gigawatts of energy daily to catch up with the rapidly increasing global energy demand."
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“It is challenging to reproduce these vibrant colors in the polymers used to produce items like environmentally friendly paints and highly selective optical filters. Precise control of polymer synthesis and processing is needed to form the incredibly thin, ordered layers that produce the structural color as we see in nature.â€
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