Organic semiconductors offer unique potential for low cost, large scale, and flexible electronic applications, including transistors, diodes, solar cells and sensors. This is a rapidly growing field, and many new opportunities are on the horizon due to advances in the synthesis of molecular semiconductors. Nevertheless, there is still a critical lack of understanding of how chemical structure influences intermolecular interactions, and subsequently film formation. Recent results have demonstrated the exciting potential of exploiting liquid crystalline phases to tune the optical and electrical response of organic semiconducting films via variations in molecular packing and long range order. Strategies for dedicated control of molecular self-assembly represent a promising direction towards the smart design of high performance organic electronics.

This symposium will unite interdisciplinary activities in physics, chemistry, material science and engineering on liquid crystalline properties and self-assembly in organic semiconductors. Topical sessions will target new approaches in molecular design and synthesis, structure-function relationships, structural characterization, optical and electrical properties, fabrication processes for films, and device applications. Contributions from both experiment and theory are actively solicited to stimulate discussions that unify concepts spanning from fundamental mechanisms to real applications.

devices electronic structure liquid crystal macromolecular structure morphology organic self-assembly semiconducting thin film