Polypeptides with pedant oligo(arylene vynylene)s: new nanostructured materials for application in light emitting devices

Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship J 1913 New nanostructured materials for light emitting devices Ruth MÜLLER 26.6.2000 In the submitted proposal an approach to devices in which molecules in the emitting layer of a light emitting device LED are oriented with respect to each other and to the contact electrode is made. This at the improvement of the optical properties of the emissive layer, e.g. anisotropy in photoluminescence. Pi-electron-systems attached to the alpha-helix of a polypeptide serve as emissive layer, where the helix "anchores" on the indium-tin-oxide (electrode) surface. The conjugated systems are of para-phenylene or para-arylene- vinylene nature and are expected to emit light upon exitation. Due to the order of the conjugated system induced by the attachment to the beta-carbon of alanine, pi-stacking should occur. The repetitive sequence of the conjugated system in the helix, the addition ordervia stacking effects, and the orientation of the alpha-helix standing off the surface are expected to improve the optical properties of the emitting layer as has been shown generally for the orientation of organic materials before. The combination of nanostructured layers with achievment of these ordered materials by chemical synthesis for the application in LEDs is the major target of this project.