Integrated self-assembled switchable systems and materials: towards responsive organic electronics – a multi-site innovative training action
iSwitch will offer top-level multi-disciplinary and supra-sectorial training to a pool of talented young researchers, involving contributions from different scientific and technological fields such as, supramolecular chemistry, materials, nanoscience, physics and engineering. iSwitch’s appointees will be trained through lecture courses, dedicated international schools and workshops, topical conferences, secondments to other consortium nodes and an ambitious and carefully planned research activities benefiting from the expertise of world-leading senior PIs and of younger but well-established PIs with outstanding track records in training and research. Additionally, iSwitch will generate new ground-breaking S&T knowledge needed to obtain efficient and fast switching in supramolecular electro- and opto-active materials as a response to external stimuli. This will be accomplished via controlled self-assembly of multicomponent architectures incorporating molecular switches, for fabricating responsive and multifunctional optoelectronic supramolecular devices. We are particularly interested in developing nano- and macro-scale switchable transistors and light-emitting devices as new solutions to (nanoscale) multifunctional organic-based logics.
The specific training and research objectives are:
- Design and synthesis of a (macro)molecular toolbox including electroactive and responsive systems as well as semiconducting and metallic nanostructures
- Controlled interfaces of switches on (non)planar surfaces
- Self-assembly of multicomponent systems into multifunctional architectures and materials
- Multiscale structural, optical and electrical characterization of systems including Scanning Probe studies and time-resolved spectroscopy
- Fabrication and characterization of switchable devices, i.e., transistors for “logics” and light-emitting devices for photonics, and related applications (optical illumination, optical filtering/landscaping, optical sensors, photovoltaics, etc.)