05-SONS-FP-021 SOHYD
Molecular electronics is emerging as a powerful technology platform. It combines many of the attributes of present day electronics and optoelectronics with attractive possibilities for control of functionality at the molecular level. Of particular interest is the development of devices using supra- and super-molecular self-organised architectures, where the limited functionalities of individual molecular components are enhanced by their organisation into larger supermolecular systems. Rapid progress has been made in the fields of supramolecular and supermolecular chemistry, including the demonstrations of redox switches and light driven molecular machines. However, it is striking that there are still only few examples of technological applications in this field. There are two key factors behind the lack of technological exploitation of such complex architectures. Firstly, whilst enhanced functionality of supermolecular structures has been widely demonstrated in solution, the integration of such supermolecular structures into solid state electronic or optoelectronic devices has been very limited to date. Secondly, and more importantly, there still remains a basic lack of understanding between the molecular entity and the self-organised materials structure, as well as and its function in molecular electronic devices. This project is focussed on designing new nanoscale assemblies using inorganic and organic building blocks combined into (block) co-polymers and hybrid structures. The functional units in
these co-polymers are chosen for their opto-electronic properties such as light absorption, electronic charge transport, exciton formation or charge separation and light emission. Using physical adhesion to molecularly engineered surfaces and by the inherent property of block co-polymers to form (nano) separated phases, self assembled well-defined nanoscopic architectures will be prepared. These structures will be evaluated using electron and optical spectroscopic techniques such as, impedence spectroscopy, laser transient spectroscopy, steady state and lifetime emission
measurements, either as is, or integrated in simple model devices.
Project Leader:
Professor Dirk Vanderzande
University of Hasselt, Institute for Material Research (IMO), Diepenbeek, Belgium
Principal Investigators:
Dr. Saif Haque
Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
Professor Michael Grätzel
Institut des sciences et ingénierie chimiques, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Professor Tomas Torres-Cebada
Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Professor Nazario Martin
Facultad de Química, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Professor Juan Bisquert Mascarell
Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain
Professor Eugenio Coronado Miralles
Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMol), Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
Dr. Mukundan Thelakkat
University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
