Identifying new design parameters for organic semiconductors using spectroscopy and computational chemistry (Hodgkiss, Gordon)

In 2012, we will advance a collaboration with synthetic chemist Prof.  Han Young Woo (Pusan National University, Korea) to enhance the power conversion efficiency of novel low bandgap polymers synthesized in his laboratory.  Prof.  Woo's first generation material achieved an impressive power conversion efficiency of 5.9%, underpinned by broad absorption and high voltage. 

We will apply spectroscopic and computational tools to interrogate the complex interplay between the molecular structure and the electronic excited states in this new family of materials.  We will also measure charge recombination dynamics in order to guide strategies to suppress charge recombination, which currently limits the overall power conversion efficiency.  This objective will benefit considerably from the computational and spectroscopic tools developed in 2011.