This Project Grant award, valued at $555,000.00 and awarded by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program, supports research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) focused on developing advanced hybrid J-aggregate nanostructures. The primary objectives are to:
Investigate how silica matrices influence the brightness, stability, and excitonic behavior of J-aggregate fluorophores, and explore solvent tunability through surface functionalization.
Create a new class of robust, bright, and fast fluorophores with significant Stokes shifts by coupling donor and acceptor J-aggregate systems through Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). This includes optimizing the photonic interactions of these FRET-coupled structures when deposited as thin films for practical applications.
The project aims to enhance the performance of optical technologies in areas such as sensing, imaging, and quantum communications by leveraging the unique properties of J-aggregate nanostructures. The award commenced on Jul 1, 2024 and is scheduled for completion by Jun 30, 2027.