Electronics with molecules – photosynthesis, OLEDs and solar cells
Professor Sir Richard Friend
Martin Wood Lecture Theatre, Physics Department at 5.30 PM (local time) on Thursday, November 17.
Abstract: Many carbon-based molecules behave as semiconductors when they have similar electronic structure to graphene. Nature has developed these to harvest energy from sunlight in photosynthetic systems. Much more recently, synthetic organic semiconductors have been developed and are now successfully used in semiconductor devices such as LEDs for OLED displays. I will outline some of the scientific surprises along the route from discovery to practical applications, and discuss the scope for engineering efficient solar cells.
About the speaker: Friend's research has been applied to development of polymer field effect transistors, light-emitting diodes, photovoltaic diodes, optically pumped lasing and directly printed polymer transistors. He pioneered the study of organic polymers and the electronic properties of molecular semiconductors. He is also one of the principal investigators in the new Cambridge-based Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration (IRC) on nanotechnology and co-founder of Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) and Plastic Logic. Friend has co-authored over 1,000 publications and more than 20 patents. Friend's research has been used to develop flat panel displays and future screens that can be rolled and transported.