Justin Roop-Task 3 Team Member
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Primary Research Advisor: Prof. Jimmy Mays The ability to provide for today’s energy needs without depriving future generations of resources is one of the most important challenges facing this current generation. This is the challenge that drew me into research focused on renewable energy sources. As a STAIR trainee, I conduct research in the field of polymer chemistry under the guidance of Dr. Jimmy Mays. My research centers around poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) which is a material that has shown great promise for applications in organic solar cells and light emitting diodes as well as other areas. One of the big problems currently hindering the implementation of P3HT in devices is low efficiency. This can be combated to some extent by incorporating another type of polymer into a block copolymer system, but it does not fully solve the efficiency problem. A main reason for the shortcoming of this approach is the rod-like structure of the conjugated P3HT which becomes a strong driver of self-assembly behavior at reasonably high molecular weights. It is this self-assembly behavior that controls whether or not uninterrupted pathways exist to transport electrons from one diode to the other. In my work, I am attempting to examine how more complex molecular architectures may affect the final morphologies of these materials and ultimately provide a handle by which we may gain control of this behavior. I received an ACS-certified Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Tennessee in May 2009. After completing a Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) at the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC), a division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), I joined the graduate school in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Tennessee and became a member of the STAIR program. Beyond life in the lab, I enjoy spending time with wonderful wife, Tiffani. Our most prevalent pastime is attempting to keep up with our one-year old son, Nathaniel. E-mail: Justin Roop Additional information on each of the three research areas can be found in the links below. |