Application for the “Research Mentoring Program” – PhD Student
Name: Brittni Qualizza email: bqualizza@luc.edu location: Flanner Hall 123, extension 83110
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Ph.D in Chemistry ; Directed by Assistant Professor Jacob Ciszek Ph.D ;
Currently in the “data collection” period (year 3)
Abstract
My current research deals with chemically altering organic semi-conductor crystals. Using a well-studied reaction, called the Diels-Alder, the surface of a crystal of tetracene (and rubrene) will be changed. The surface will then be probed to prove that this transformation occurred. Upon a chemical alteration of the surface, we anticipate that these crystals’ internal electronic properties may be modified such that they will be useful as an organic semiconducting material for electronics like: Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), commonly used in flat screen displays, and Organic Field-Effect Transistors (OFETs), used in emerging flexible electronics (see pictures below respectively). The change can be measured by a detection of fluorescence from a tag, using fluorescence microscopy, by a change in mass of the crystal, using mass spectrometry, or by using measurements of the rate of reactions between the crystal and the several chemicals.

Summer Undergraduate Work
The undergraduate will have the ability to work on any one of the following experiments based on their interest:
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Measure the rate of reaction for several different combinations of organic crystal and reactive species using mass spectrometry or other common analytical laboratory techniques (i.e. NMR, UV-vis, XPS).
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Use Infrared Spectroscopy, a technique which probes the surface using infrared light, to detect chemicals which have been reacted with the crystals.
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Use a Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope to detect fluorescence on reacted crystals.
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Conduct electronic measurements on the crystals before and after reaction with different chemicals.