plastic electronics_finalJune10

PLASTIC ELECTRONICS
Plastic Elec tronics
I n the Facult y of Natural S ciences
Plastic electronics is widely recognised as a vital rapidly growing platform technology with the potential to
impact on multiple application sectors, including those that closely address Imperial’s priority themes in energy,
environment and healthcare. It is predicted to become a multibillion dollar global industry and researchers at
Imperial are leading the way in this very exciting discipline.
Plastic Electronics and its applications
Plastic electronics encompasses the materials science,
chemistry and physics of molecular electronic materials (MEMs) and the materials many applications. Plastic semiconductors are based on pi-conjugated MEMs
that are capable of absorbing and emitting light and
conducting charge, just like inorganic semiconductors. They have the advantages that the properties,
such as emission wavelength, can be tuned through
chemical design, that the materials are tough and flexible, and that they can be processed from solution so
that devices can be manufactured by relatively simple
and low-cost printing or coating methods.
The applications of plastic electronics include displays,
energy efficient lighting, sensors, flexible electronic
circuitry, sensor arrays, solar cells, and applications in
medical imaging, bio-electronics, memory devices,
and much more. The field is expanding rapidly yet
much of the basic science remains to be understood.
In particular the relationship between the chemical
and physical properties of materials and the function
of devices still need to be further explored. Once the
basic properties of the materials are properly understood, design rules can be developed for new materials and types of device with better performance.
Beam profile for emission from a
circular grating polymer laser.
Image: Tom Wellinger
VPP-PEDOT based LED. Photo: Peter
Levermore
Plastic electronics research represents an area of
significant growth, nationally and globally, evidenced
by the rapidly expanding organic display and printed
electronics industries. The burgeoning market for
OLED displays alone exceeds $1bn globally and is continuing to grow rapidly while the nascent industries
in organic photovoltaics and lighting have enormous
market potential in the context of low carbon electricity and energy efficiency.
Sponsors and collaborators include:
Dr Brian O’Regan, Ms Xiaoe Li and Professor James Durrant discuss the
performance of dye-sensitised, nanocrystalline solar cells.
Photo: Dave Guttridge
Centre for Plastic Electronics
The newly established centre integrates and coordinates the plastic electronics research activity within
Imperial, bringing together an interdisciplinary team
from across the college. Professor Donal Bradley FRS
is the centre’s director, and the team comprises of researchers from the departments of Physics, Chemistry
and Materials, and also the Institute for Biomedical
Engineering and Division of Neuroscience.
The centres mission is to actively stimulate new cutting-edge high impact research and to meet Imperial’s
strategic intent to harness the strengths and breadth
of our research to address the global challenges of climate change, energy and global health and security.
The centre comprises the following research themes:
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Materials design, synthesis and processing
Advanced multi-parameter structural, electrical and optical characterization
Nanostructure and interface control
Multi-scale materials and device modelling
Device fabrication and optimization
In addition to the new Centre, research in plastic
electronics at Imperial has been further bolstered by
a recent £6 million award from EPSRC for a Doctoral
Training Centre (DTC) in plastic electronics. The DTC
aims to support postgraduate students and develop
the next generation of world-class researchers in this
field.
PLASTIC ELECTRONICS
Imperial academics win top awards
Two Imperial physicists working in the field of
plastic electronics have been honoured in the
Institute of Physics’ 2009 awards. The Institute’s
Faraday Medal was awarded to Professor Donal
Bradley FRS for his pioneering work in the field of
plastic electronics. The Institute’s Joule Medal was
awarded to Professor Jenny Nelson for distinguished research in applied physics.
In addition in 2009, the Royal Society of Chemistry paid tribute to two Imperial chemists working
in the field of plastic electronics. Professor James
Durrant was awarded the Environment Prize for
his world-leading photochemical studies of solar
energy conversion. Professor Iain McCulloch was
awarded the Creativity in Industry Prize for his
outstanding creative work and innovative solutions in the art of organic synthesis.
New plastic semiconductors up to
speed
Imperial chemists Professor Iain McCulloch and Dr
Martin Heeney have published work describing a
new plastic semiconductor that allows electrical
charge to pass through it at speeds never before
seen, a discovery which could dramatically drive
down the cost of flat panel screens.
The new plastic could one day replace silicon
as the semiconductor used in the electronic
components that control the displays in computer
and television monitors and in so-called frequency
identification chips. The work illustrates a key
relationship between the assembly polymer
molecules organised structures, and the resultant
improvements that arrive in electrical performance.
Modelling of a polymer/C60 interface.
Artwork: Jarvist Frost
Organic and dye-sensitised nanocrystalline solar cells.
Photo: Dave Guttridge
Solar cells of the future
Collaborative research led by Professors Donal
Bradley and Jenny Nelson from the Department
of Physics, and Professor James Durrant from the
Department of Chemistry, has resulted in publications outlining ways of improving the performance
of solar power cells made from organic materials,
such as plastics.
Solar cells made from plastics could provide
a low-cost alternative to traditional solar cells
made from silicon and other inorganic materials,
provided their efficiency can be improved to make
them competitive with the traditional products on
the market. Imperial researchers have shown that
by making small changes to the chemical structure
of the two materials used to make plastic solar
cells improves the way the two materials mix together. By changing the chemical structure of the
plastic component they showed that they could
control the way in which the molecules assemble
together in the plastic film. A result of this material optimisation is more efficient solar cells.
The work was published in Nature Materials* and
has emerged as the mostly highly cited paper
published in 2006.
*Nature Materials 5, 197-203 (5 February 2006)
For more information contact
Dr Sophie Armstrong-Brown, Programme Manager
Centre for Plastic Electronics and Doctoral Training Centre
Imperial College London
133, Chemistry Building
South Kensington Campus
London SW7 2AZ.
Email:
Tel: Website: [email protected]
+44 (0)20 7594 7235
www.imperial.ac.uk/plasticelectronics
www.imperial.ac.uk/naturalsciences
Sponsors and collaborators include:
Edited and designed by the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London. October 2009.