Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

The energy needs of society are putting an immense stress on our ecosystems, almost to the breaking point, where they may not be able to keep up with the demand. This problem is a serious one, and can only be solved by the coordinated efforts of scientists from all disciplines. One component that aims to reduce our energy demand and to produce renewable forms of energy, are the wide spread use organic light emitting diode displays (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs; 3rd generation solar cells). OLEDs offer an excellent method of creating all types of displays (from home televisions to large advertising billboards) and they consume a very small fraction of the energy compared to current technologies. OPVs are third generation solar cells that will enable us to harness the suns energy to generate electricity. The principal roadblock to the widespread use of these devices in society at large remains their sensitivity to wet environments, both bulk water and water vapour. In this context, our strategic grant proposal directly addresses the key strategic area of Competitive Manufacturing, where the materials developed during the project will enable a wholly new solution to address these shortcomings, overcoming the issue of device failure as a result of environmental exposure. Our proposal is the first venture into using ionic liquid based materials as plausible alternatives to achieving highly effective water barriers. This is a highly original and innovative step forward, and represents a massive departure from traditional methodologies. Ultimately, success in this project will generate materials that meet or surpass the performance of current technologies, are cheaper and simpler to manufacture in large quantities and can be integrated into OLED and OPV devices in a straightforward manner.