Presentation
Organic semiconductors are carbon-based materials that have demonstrated their use in printed large area electronic at low economical and environmental costs. In the recent years, they also have been studied for use in an emerging energy harvesting application, namely, thermoelectric or waste-heat harvesting for energy generation. However the benchmark for commercial applications, i.e., a demonstration of a figure of merit (ZT) greater than 1 that would allow heat-to-voltage conversion efficiency that approaches 10% from low-grade (< 300 degrees C) heat sources, has not been demonstrated yet. This project builds on the knowledge and recent developments of both groups, bringing together the best materials, characterisation and measurement methods in an attempt to reach for the first time ZT=1 in organic semiconductors. Moreover, it will also shed more light on the physics of charge and heat transport taking place in these materials, refining current state of the art transport models.
Promoters
- Deepak Venkateshvaran, Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge
- Guillaume Schweicher, Département de Chimie, ULB