AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Basic knowledge of chemical and physical properties of conjugated polymers and molecules. Use of such materials in organic optoelectronics devices (sensors, transistor, led and photovoltaic cells).

TEACHING METHODS

Class teaching and simple class experiments. Lab esperiments.

Lab activities depend on the number of student

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Lessons will deal with the following items:

Extended p-electron systems both in molecules and polymers. Conjugation length: ionization potential, electron affinity and HOMO-LUMO gap in the series ranging from ethylene to polyene. [Electronic states for the polyene: the Huckel method for the isolated chain and for interacting macromolecules]. Dimerization and Peierls distorsion: metal and semiconducting polymers. Conducting conjugated polymers: doping and applications. Charge transport in semiconducting and conducting polymers. Spectroscopy of conjugated systems: [electronic transitions], Franck-Condon principle and [vibronic transitions], fluorescence and lifetime, singlet and triplet excitons, Jablonski diagram and photophysics.

Synthesis of main conjugated polymer families (polyacetylene, polythiophene, poly(p-phenylenevinylene)). Functionalization of chemical and physical properties of conjugated materials (solubility, ionization potential, electron affinity). Supramolecolar structure of conjugated polymers and role of aggregation in the solid state. Orientation techniques of conjugated polymers, optical and electronic properties anisotropy.

Working principles of devices made of conjugated molecules and polymers: sensors, devices for non-linear optics, OLED, PLED, OTFE, photovoltaic cells and light harvesting based devices. Role of the supramolecular structure on the main electronic properties and on devices.

Practice:

[Calculation of the electronic structure of 1D and 3D polyacetylene.] Preparation of conjugated polymer thin films by spin coating and drop casting. Transmission, reflection and fluorescence spectroscopy of conjugated polymers in solution (both liquid and solid) and at the solid state.

Between square brackets, non compulsory activities for Inductrial Chemistry students 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Testi di riferimento

• Notes of the teacher (D. Comoretto)
• Reviews on international journals
• M. Pope and C. Swemberg “Electronic processes in organic crystals and polymers”, Oxford Sci Publ. New York 1999.
• M. Klessinger and J. Michl “Excited states and photochemistry of organic molecules”, VCH, New York 1995.

• J.B. Birks “Photophysics of Aromatic Molecules”, Wiley monographs in chemical physics, 1970.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

DAVIDE COMORETTO (President)

MARINA ALLOISIO

FRANCESCO BUATIER DE MONGEOT

MAURIZIO CANEPA

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Beginning: October first; end: to be defined depending on student needs (in any case within the end of second semester)

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral, usually discussion of power-point presentation or written relation on an item related to the course selected by the student.

Exam schedule