relation: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/37207/
title: Mechanical deformation of aperiodic organic systems in response to electrostatic fields: molecular piezoelectricity
creator: Werling, Keith
description: Piezoelectricity as a bulk phenomenon in crystals is well understood from scientific, mathematical and engineering perspectives and has found wide use in many devices that convert electrical to mechanical energy or vice versa. Many strong piezoelectric compounds are inorganic, stiff ceramics that possess large piezoelectric coefficients but may have non-ideal properties for some applications e.g. related to cost, toxicity, biocompatibility, and incidence  of fracture over time. Currently work is being done to create flexible and soft piezoelectric materials from organic compounds to make new, smart materials that could be used in medical, industrial, robotic and other technological applications. To this end the ability to  screen for good organic piezoelectrics is necessary and requires a fundamental understanding of piezoelectricity at the molecular and nanoscale level. At the heart of macroscopic piezoelectric properties are inter- and intramolecular interactions and the different deformation  response properties of these interactions in an applied electric field. This thesis investigates the linear response properties of molecules and small (aperiodic) systems the building blocks for macroscopic and nano-scale piezoelectric materials and develops methods and formalisms  with roots in strain theory to help better understand which types of inter- and intramolecular interactions are best suited to yield piezoelectric systems with specifically tailored responses to applied electric fields. At the same time, the methods and formalism presented here have  potential applications in the control of nanomachines via electric fields.
date: 2019-09-25
type: University of Pittsburgh ETD
type: PeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
language: en
identifier: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/37207/7/Keith%20Werling%20Final%20ETD.pdf
identifier:   Werling, Keith  (2019) Mechanical deformation of aperiodic organic systems in response to electrostatic fields: molecular piezoelectricity.  Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.    (Unpublished)