Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/S97743/01
Title:	Insulated Molecular Wires: Supramolecular Materials for Organic Optoelectronics
Principal Investigator:	Anderson, Professor HL
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Delft University of Technology Linkoping UNI Sweden University of Oxford
Department:	Oxford Chemistry
Organisation:	University of Oxford
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	04 February 2005	Ends:	03 May 2008	Value (£):	235,274
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Chemical Synthetic Methodology Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Electronics
Related Grants:	GR/S97750/01
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Recently we have created the first examples of luminescent insulated molecular wires by threading conjugated polymers through cylindrical organic macrocycles. These insulated molecular wires perform better than their un-insulated analogues in light emitting diodes, and we have taken the first few steps towards understanding their charge-transport and electroluminescence properties. This work represents the first use of rotaxane formation to control the optoelectronic properties of a conjugated polymer chain, by isolating, insulating and encapsulating it. These materials will provide fundamental insights into the behaviour of conjugated polymers by controlling inter-chain interactions. There is tremendous scope for further exploration of their synthesis and optoelectronic behaviour. We will focus on developing synthetic routes to insulated molecular wires with improved luminescence and charge-transport, and on leaning more about these materials using a wide range of physical techniques, and on engineering device structures to take full advantage of the materials properties. Their potential for optoelectronic applications will be explored both by testing basic physical parameters (e.g. frontier orbital energies, photoluminescence quantum yield, excited state lifetimes and charge mobilities) and by testing their performance in devices such as light-emitting diodes and photovoltaic cells.The purpose of the whole project is to understand how the optoelectronic properties of conjugated polymers are influenced by interchain effects, by comparing insulated molecular wires with their un-insulated analogues. The project will not only lead to a greater understanding of organic semiconductors, but also teach us how to use molecular recognition and supramolecular self-assembly to build functional optoelectronic nanostructures.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.ox.ac.uk