NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in China

Klubek Kevin P, West Henrietta NY

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Kevin P. Klubek of the University of Rochester to conduct a research project in Engineering during the summer of 2013 at the Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. The project title is "Blue Emitters for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes." The host scientist is Professor Liang-Sheng Liao. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are a new technology being developed for display (replacing liquid crystal and plasma technologies) and solid state lighting applications (replacing incandescent and fluorescent lighting). OLEDs contain several layers of organic (carbon based materials) thin films sandwiched between two electrodes. When a battery is connected to the electrodes, a current passes into the organic materials and one of the layers emits light. Depending on molecular structure, the organic materials can emit red, green or blue light, and all three colors are needed for most applications. While OLEDs have an ability to achieve high brightness with low power consumption, blue emitting OLEDs have a significantly shorter lifetime (time for the initial brightness to decrease by 50%) than red or green emitting OLEDs. The research shown in this work compares various blue emitting materials in an effort to understand how molecular structure impacts device performance, notably that of device lifetime. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, the research effort between Soochow University and the University of Rochester (UR) will lay the foundation for forging a strong ongoing relationship as these universities have many shared interests that extend beyond the OLED field. One of the key goals is to widely distribute the scientific and technological understanding that is achieved by publishing in peer reviewed journals and presenting at conferences. Furthermore, the Fellow will give a presentation outlining his research to the host university and a comparable presentation on the collaboration with the Tang lab and his stay in China on return to his home institution. Both presentations will promote the importance and benefits of the NSF EAPSI fellowship.