Abstract: Polymers, oligomers and 'small molecules' with pi-conjugated frameworks are important semiconductor materials in a wide range of photonic and electronic devices. Over the last 25 years, we have developed a synthetic approach that allows us to synthesize monodisperse organic semiconductor macromolecules on the gram scale. In contrast to conjugated polymers, batches are prepared with 100% reproducibility and the products can be isolated in high purity.
These attributes are extremely well valued, because subsequent work towards device optimization (design, processing, annealing, etc.) can rely on the consistent behaviour of the organic semiconductor. Such compounds have been made for photonic and optoelectronic applications, such as organic lasers, downconverters in hybrid LEDs, visible light communications, OLEDs and OPVs. Nevertheless, some characteristics of polymers can outperform (macro) molecular systems, so it would be wrong to state that monodisperse organic semiconductor macromolecules are entirely superior to polymers.
In this talk, I present our work on the synthesis, processing and applications of conjugated materials for photonic and optoelectronic applications. For such devices, the materials have been designed to be amorphous with excellent film-forming properties and compatibility in composites. Our story features both monodisperse and polymer systems that continue to push the boundaries of performance of photonic and electronic devices.
Bio: Pete Skabara completed his PhD studies in 1994 under the supervision of Professor Martin Bryce at the University of Durham before taking up a Max-Planck Fellowship with Professor Klaus Müllen at the MPI for Polymer Research in Mainz (1994-95). His academic career began at Sheffield Hallam University in 1995, and he moved to the University of Manchester, before joining the University of Strathclyde. In 2018 he moved from Strathclyde to his present position as the Ramsay Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. Research interests are generally in the field of organic semiconductors, which spans electronic and photonic devices and sensors, with an emphasis on synthesis and bulk properties, which are in turn driven by careful design and control of molecular architecture. His work on monodisperse, star-shaped conjugated macromolecules gained him a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. He has also held a Leverhulme Trust Fellowship and a Leverhulme/Royal Society Africa Award.