Tuning Work Function and Device Efficiency in Nanostructured Organic Layered Interfaces—From Electrochemical Crosslinking to Hybrid Dendrimers

The introduction of organic and polymer layers in bulk heterojunction solid-state devices, displays, and transistor devices, plays a central role in mediating device performance. It is often associated with thin-layered nanostructuring and control of energy/electron transport corresponding to mobility with the active layers. In this talk, we emphasize our studies in the use of nanostructuring methods and rational electrochemically active dendrimer synthesis to fine-tune the work function in organic semiconductor devices, i.e. to increase device performance and efficiency. Several examples of this approach in exploring the role of electro-active species include 1) synthesis and electrochemical crosslinking of precursor polymers, 2) grafting of polymer brushes and patterning, 3) utilizing surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy to probe transport phenomena, and 4) LED, PV and sensor device development.