Abstract

Organic semiconductors have a number of unique properties that can be exploited to achieve electronic functionalities not possible with traditional inorganic semiconductors. In this talk, I will highlight several applications enabled by these unique materials. To start I will discuss the ability to achieve net zero energy (NZE) greenhouses through the integration of semitransparent organic solar cells (OSCs). Greenhouses vastly increase agricultural land-use efficiency. However, they also consume significantly more energy than conventional farming due in-part to conditioning the greenhouse space. We show that integration of OSC modules can lead to NZE greenhouses that do not hinder crop production in some cases. The talk will then turn to advanced hyperspectral and polarimetric imaging enabled by organic semiconductors. This sensing capable has broad applications from astronomy to biology. We show that uniaxial aligning polymer semiconductors in the plane of the film induces significant dichroism. When these oriented films are applied in photodetectors they result in intrinsic polarization sensitivity. By stacking several polarized detectors along the same optical axis we show the ability to make photodetectors with multispectral and polarization sensing capabilities. Lastly, the talk will turn to considering the mechanical and morphological stability of organic photovoltaics. Making these devices flexible and stretchable has the potential to advance soft-robotics, wearables, and bio-integrated electronics. Here we focus on the fundamental thermomechanical behavior of polymer semiconductors measured through dynamic mechanical analysis and the impact the thermal relaxations have on stability. 

Bio

Dr. Brendan O’Connor is currently an Associate Professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at NC State University. He received his PhD from the University of Michigan in Mechanical Engineering in 2009. He was then a NRC-NIST postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the polymers division. He then joined NC State in 2011. He is a recipient of an NSF CAREER award and was named a University Faculty Scholar in 2018.

Brendan O’Connor, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NC State University

Zoom Info
Meeting ID: 977 9371 3918
Passcode: 040942