KSC SEMINARS
Materials Research Institute and the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, UK
Date & Time: Sunday November 5th, 2017 at 11am
Venue: Auditorium Between Building 4/5
Light refreshments will be provided.
Abstract: Conjugated polymers are an attractive class of material, combining both the mechanical properties of polymers and the electronic properties of semiconductors. This complexity allows for an unprecedented versatility with regards to possible areas of application ranging from flexible OLED displays to artificial skin. However, to take full advantage of the unique properties of organic semiconductors, it is crucial to understand how their properties can be influenced and most importantly controlled.
In this talk, I will present a series of alternative approaches to incorporate additional functionalities into organic semiconductors, while maintaining excellent electronic properties. Our findings highlight that a better understanding of the structure-property relationship, cannot only lead to significantly enhanced electronic properties but also opens opportunities for ever more advanced and sophisticated applications.
Biography: Bob C. Schroeder, born in Luxembourg, received both his BSc (2008) and MSc (2010) in Chemistry from the Free University of Brussels (ULB) under the guidance of Prof. Yves Geerts. Afterwards, he moved to Imperial College London to carry out his doctoral studies under the supervision of Prof. Iain McCulloch. His PhD research focused on the synthesis and study of pi-conjugated materials and polymers for applications in organic electronic devices (i.e. organic photovoltaics (OPV), organic field effect transistors (OFET), organic light emitting diodes, etc.).
After completion of his PhD studies (2013), Bob conducted a short 6 months EPSRC sponsored postdoctoral stay at Imperial College London to develop new tellurium containing polymers for applications in organic spin transport electronics. He then moved to the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University (2014) as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) in the group of Prof. Zhenan Bao. His work at Stanford University focused on the development of self-healing conjugated polymers for stretchable, skin-like electronics.
Since April 2016, Bob has been appointed as an Academic Fellow at the Materials Research Institute and the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, where his research is focusing on the development of organic thermoelectric materials and supramolecular interactions in conjugated polymers.