Design and discovery of chiral semiconductors with tunable optical and electrochemical responses

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $632,374 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

Non-technical summary Chirality is the phenomenon where two objects, called enantiomers, can exist as non-superimposable mirror images of each other, such as one's left and right hands. Chirality is ubiquitous in organic molecules which are essential to life, including amino acids and carbohydrates. These are selectively found in nature as only one of the two mirror image forms. Some inorganic crystals such as quartz also possess chiral structures. While inorganic crystals that are both chiral and light-absorbing semiconductors are rare, they could enable new types of devices such as photodetectors. Photodetectors can be used in enhanced biomedical imaging devices and can be used to selectively produce chiral pharmaceutical agents. However, a significant challenge in realizing these devices is that the chiral semiconductor must be prepared with high excess of one of its two mirror image forms, known as enantiomeric excess. With support from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in NSF's Division of Materials Research, Professors Bryce Sadtler and Rohan Mishra at Washington University in St. Louis combine experiments and theory to discover new types of chiral semiconductors and synthesize them with enantiomeric excess. By identifying new chiral semiconductors and synthesizing them with enantiomeric excess, Profs. Sadtler and Mishra tune their properties for applications of national interest including chiral electrodes for the electrochemical synthesis of chiral ph

Key facts

NSF award ID
2532378
Awardee
Washington University (MO)
SAM.gov UEI
L6NFUM28LQM5
PI
Bryce Sadtler
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Microelectronics and Semiconductors
Estimated total
$632,374
Funds obligated
$632,374
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
09/01/2025 → 08/31/2028