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The development of molecular semiconductors for optoelectronic devices has tremendous impact on energy production. However, a major challenge to attain widespread implementation of this technology would be to develop materials by cost effective methods and achieve high stability. Although this can pose a great challenge, the concept of bulk heterojunction has provided the record breaking efficiency of as high as 9.2%. However, a clear relationship between the material properties and stability is still lacking. In this talk, the role of torsional defects in molecular semiconductor shall be discussed. Moreover, our recent results of ambipolar molecular semiconductors for organic field-effect transistors (OFET) will be highlighted.

References:
1) Influence of Side-Chain on Structural Order and Photophysical Properties in Thiophene Based Diketopyrrolopyrroles: A Systematic Study, Mallari A. Naik, N. Venkatramaiah, Catherine Kanimozhi, and Satish Patil*, Journal of Physical Chemistry-C, 2012, 116, 26128–26137

2) Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Diketopyrrolopyrrole-Based Conjugated Copolymer for High-Mobility Organic Field-Effect Transistors, Kanimozhi, C.; Yaacobi-Gross, N.; Chou, K. W.; Amassian, A.; Anthopoulos, T. D.; Satish Patil, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 16532

The longstanding reliance on fossil fuels as the principal energy source for society has boosted the atmospheric CO2 concentration to a level that is unprecedented in modern geological history. Since the use of carbon-containing fuels is entrenched in society, controlling the atmospheric CO2 concentration may ultimately require recycling CO2 into liquid fuels and commodity chemicals using renewable energy inputs. Arguably the greatest challenge for this vision is to develop efficient CO2 reduction catalysts. This talk will describe our recent development of “oxide-derived” metal nanoparticles as electroreduction catalysts. Oxide-derived metal nanoparticles are prepared by electrochemically reducing metal oxide precursors. This procedure results in highly strained metal nanocrystals. I will describe examples of these catalysts that electrochemically reduce CO2 to CO with exceptional energetic efficiency as well as a catalyst that selectively reduces CO to two-carbon oxygenates. The mechanisms of CO2 and CO reduction will be discussed based on electrokinetic measurements. Metal oxide reduction represents a “top-down” approach to metal nanoparticle synthesis that can result in unique surface structures for catalysis.