Organo- and bioelectronics

Organic: The development of conducting polymers, light emitting systems and energy transfer materials are all fundamental requirements for the construction of working photovoltaics, OLEDs, OFETs and molecular wires. The arrangement of the building blocks in such polymers and materials has been found to be one of the governing factors of the resulting properties of the material. In order to correctly order and position these units (e.g. chromophores such as perylenes, porphyrins, phthalocyanines, etc,) a variety of approaches has been developed ranging from controlled surface dewetting to polymerization of a polyisocyanide or a novel polymethylene scaffold.
Within the group and in collaboration with several European collaborators (Cambridge - Mons - Strasbourg - Hamburg - Bologna - Philips) the research is directed at the synthesis and study of new metallo and organic building blocks and their assembly or polymerization for application in the aforementioned devices. The control over the properties as a function of architecture will be investigated with a wide range of physical techniques, such as electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), scanning probe microscopy (STM, AFM) and spectroscopy, and may involve research training periods in some of the mentioned collaborating groups.

Bio: A biofuel cell uses biocatalysts (like enzymes or bacteria) for the conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy. In this project we are trying to further explore this concept by confining redox enzymes inside conductive polymer spheres called vesicles. Because the enzymes are inside conductive vesicles, they should be able to transport their generated electrons acros the vesicle membrane, thereby creating a current. These functional vesicles might then be applied in a nano biofuel cell. The materials above will also be investigated for functionality in sensor devices.

Ph.D. students working in this group: