Speaker: Prof Jenny Nelson (Professor of Physics, Imperial College, London)

‘Plastic’ electronic materials, based on pi-conjugated molecules and polymers, are of intense interest currently for applications such as light emission, flexible thin film electronics and solar energy conversion. These materials are attractive because of the possibility to control optical and electronic properties through chemical design as well as the potential for low cost device manufacture using high volume processing. A major challenge is to develop a rational understanding of how the properties of the materials depend upon the chemical and physical structure of the materials. This goal has been partly realised through advances in material synthesis, characterisation techniques and modelling over the last ten years. Taking solar photovoltaic energy conversion as an example, we will discuss how improved understanding of materials and device function has raised the efficiency of organic solar cells to over 10%. Finally, we will address the contribution that organic photovoltaic technology could make to solar power generation in the future.

The Faculty of Science is delighted to welcome Prof Jenny Nelson, an alumnus of the University of Bristol. Prof Nelson completed her PhD on "Optics of fractal clusters: with reference to soot" at the School of Physics before joining the Physics department at Imperial College London where she is now Professor of Physics and a Deputy Director of the Centre for Plastic Electronics.

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All students and staff are welcome, and attendance is free. This event will, no doubt, be very well-attended, so please arrive early to get yourself a seat.