Nanoscale interfaces in organic electronic and optoelectronic materials

有机材料为传统半导体提供了一个有趣的替代品，因为它们可以为电子产品、显示器和太阳能转换提供成本低、重量轻、灵活的组件，而生产这些组件所需的能量相对较少。通过化学修饰也可以引入很大的可变性，以相对较少、丰富的元素为基础，创造出巨大的材料调色板。然而，分子组件在载流子的传导、光激发和发生在设备中固有必要的界面上的相互作用方面的表现与传统半导体不同。这些材料对当地环境的变化非常敏感，大自然通过对周围有效成分的精细控制来处理这些变化。在设计用于电子和光电子应用的有机材料时，这引出了一个问题：我们能否以同样的方式设计具有关键接口和环境控制的人工材料？

Organic materials offer an intriguing alternative to traditional semiconductors as they could provide low cost, light-weight, flexible components for electronics, displays and solar energy conversion that require comparatively little energy to produce. Great variability can also be introduced through chemical modification, creating a vast palette of materials based on relatively few, abundant elements. However, molecular components behave differently than traditional semiconductors in terms of conduction of charge carriers, optical excitation and interactions occurring at interfaces inherently necessary in devices. These materials are highly sensitive to variations in the local environment, which nature deals with through exquisite control over the surroundings of active components. In the design of organic materials for electronic and optoelectronic applications, this begs the question: can we design artificial materials with control over key interfaces and the environment in the same way?