Department of Chemistry
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Adjunct Associate Professor of Physics
Ph.D. Physics, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 2001
(Physical and Materials Chemistry, Nanotechnology)
(206) 685-2331
Email: ginger@chem.washington.edu
Ginger group website
The principles and tools of physical and materials chemistry are critical to the energy generation and storage problem. Research in the Ginger Lab focuses on the physical chemistry of nanostructured materials with potential applications in low cost photovoltaics (solar cells), energy efficient light-emitting diodes, and novel biosensors. In particular, we study conjugated polymers, semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots, and plasmon resonant metal nanoparticles. We develop and apply new combinations of scanning probe microscopy and optical spectroscopy (including single molecule techniques) to understand the basic science behind these materials and their applications in devices. We assemble these materials into new structures using Dip-Pen Nanolithography and bio-inspired materials approaches. In general we are interested in the interplay between the organizational structure, the electrical properties, and the optical properties of nanoscale materials, especially as applied to problems of solar energy. Prospective students should contact David Ginger directly.
Conjugated polymers blends are promising materials for the next-generation of low-cost photovoltaic materials. To better understand these materials, we combine optical spectroscopy and scanning- probe methods to study charge separation, recombination and transport as a function of thin film morphology and interfacial chemistry in thin films of organic semiconductors. Dip-Pen Nanolithography is used to generate templates for controlling nanoscale morphology through surface chemistry (image above). We have developed Time-resolved Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM) and conducting-probe AFM techniques to characterize charge generation, transport, and recombination, with spatial resolutions better than 50 nm, and time resolutions of tens of microseconds.
In addition to conjugated-polymers, we are also interested in semiconductor quantum dots as optoelectronic chromophores. Our research simultaneously combines both single molecule optical spectroscopy and scanning- probe microscopy to correlate the optical and electronic properties of single particles. We investigate the effects of surface chemistry on the optical and electronic properties of the particles that we synthesize, and also study quantum dot LED structures made possible with novel organic semiconductors synthesized by our collaborators.
The local electromagnetic field enhancements that occur near metal nanoparticles can be used to tailor the optical properties of nearby chromophores. We are combining Dip-Pen Nanolithography and bio-inspired materials assembly to create supramolecular assemblies of chromophores and metal particles with unique optical properties. We study the assembled structures by using standard absorption and fluorescence techniques, in addition to single molecule fluorescence, single molecule darkfield scattering, and single molecule lifetime measurements.
"Mapping Local Photocurrents in Polymer/Fullerene Solar Cells with Photoconductive Atomic Force Microscopy" D. C. Coffey, O. G. Reid, D. B. Rodovsky, G. P. Bartholomew, and D. S. Ginger, Nano Letters(2007) 7, 738-744.
"Dependence of Fluorescence Intensity on the Spectral Overlap between Fluorophores and Plasmon Resonant Single Silver Nanoparticles" Y. Chen, K. Munechika, and D. S. Ginger, Nano Letters (2007) 7, 690-696.
“Time-Resolved Electrostatic Force Microscopy of Polymer Solar Cells” D. C. Coffey and D.S. Ginger, Nature Materials (2006), 5, 735-740.
“Efficient CdSe/CdS Quantum Dot Light-Emitting Diodes Using a Thermally Polymerized Hole Transport Layer," J. Zhao, J. A. Bardecker, A. M. Munro, M. S. liu, Y. Niu, I.-K. Ding, J. Luo, B. Chen, A. K.-Y. Jen, D. S. Ginger, Nano Letters (2006), 6, 463-467.
"Patterning Phase Separation in Polymer Films with Dip-Pen Nanolithography," D. C. Coffey, D. S. Ginger, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2005) 127, 4564.
American Chemical Society Unilever Award 2008
Alfred P. Sloan Fellow 2007
Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award 2007
UW Department of Chemistry Outstanding Teaching Award 2007
Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar 2006
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), AFOSR Sponsored, 2005
National Science Foundation CAREER Award 2005