Origin of Mechanochromism in Polydiacetylene Compounds

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Origin of Mechanochromism in Polydiacetylene
Compounds
Jinsang Kim, Department of Materials Sci. Eng.,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2136
We purpose a series of organic syntheses and
studies involving Langmuir techniques for
assembling and controlling polydiacetylene
monolayers through which we will uncover the true
nature of the polydiacetylene signal event. We
will create diacetylene molecules with precise
amphiphilic properties allowing us to control
their molecular conformations in situ. By
applying carefully controlled and monitored
pressure to our monolayer while observing its
optical properties via a fiber optic system we
aim to observe the polydiacetylene color change
in real time and exact detail. This work will
provide the research community with intimate
detail regarding the design of polydiacetylene
devices as well as fundamental knowledge useful
toward adapting the same molecular principles to
other optical materials. We have synthesized
various designed amphiphilic diacetylenes for the
first year and will conduct the Langmuir study in
the second year.
Schematic drawing of the in-situ UV-vis and
fluorescence spectroscopy on a Langmuir
polydiacetylene layer.