Reagan Miller / Chemistry & Biochemistry / Faculty Mentor: Frank Foss
For the search of hypothetical neutrinoless double beta decay of atoms – the design and synthesis of a spiropyran-based fluorophore is proposed as a sensor for ‘barium tagging’. The discovery of neutrinoless-double beta decay is essential to our understanding of neutrinos and the redefinition of the standard model of physics. The chemical synthesis of spiropyran and investigation of fluorescent response to Ba2+ and other metal cations in solution, in dry thin films or ionic liquids, and within self-assembled monolayers is proposed. The development of self-assembled monolayers on glass and quartz substrates are proposed for the visualization of these ‘turn-on’ responses. A convergent synthesis to prepare a series of potential sensors is described. Immobilized on transparent substrate surfaces, these materials are to be analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy, single molecule microscopy by physics collaborators, and atomic force microscopy. While primarily interested in the applications of these developed sensors in barium tagging, one may envision alternative applications in sensing heavy metals with low limits of detection for environmental impacts. This project is planned for the inclusion of the NEXT international collaboration.
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