Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/L96042/01
Title:	ELECTRO-OPTICAL APPLICATIONS OF DISCOTIC LIQUID CRYSTALS.
Principal Investigator:	O'Neill, Professor M
Other Investigators:	Toyne, Professor K Nicholls, Dr J Goodby, Professor JW Kelly, Professor S Scott, Dr C
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Physics
Organisation:	University of Hull
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 April 1998	Ends:	30 September 2001	Value (£):	234,181
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Synthesis & Growth
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Discotic liquid crystals are characterised by disc shaped molecules which can self-assemble to form ordered columnar mesophases. They promote one dimensional carrier transport and show hole mobilities much greater than amorphous organics. The aim of the project is to fabricate thin solid films of discotic glasses or photopatternable crosslinked polymer networks which retain high carrier mobilities and are readily processable, photopatternable crosslinked optoelectronic properties and applications of the materials will be investigated. Electron and hole conducting and emitting discotics will be synthesised and photopolymerised to form a network. Alignment will be achieved by slow or by a magnetic field. The layers will be evaluated and modified to optimise mobility, carrier injection and/or electroluminescence. Particular attention will be paid to the development of stable layers with high electron mobility. Phase-separated electron and hole transport blends or materials incorporating both electron and hole conducting discoids will be developed for photovoltaic cells. The quantum efficiency of these and of photoconductive detectors will be measured. Multilayer light emitting polymers will be developed with particular attention to optimisation of carrier injection and trapping in the luminescent layer. This requires orbital energy measurements and modification by sidegroup substitution of the chemical structures.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.hull.ac.uk