An oligofluorene truxene based distributed feedback laser for biosensing applications

The first example of an all-organic oligofluorene truxene based distributed feedback laser for the detection of a specific protein–small molecule interaction is reported. The protein avidin was detected down to View the MathML source1μgmL−1 using our biotin-labelled biosensor platform. This interaction was both selective and reversible when biotin was replaced with desthiobiotin. Avidin detection was not perturbed by Bovine Serum Albumin up to View the MathML source50,000μgmL−1. Our biosensor offers a new detection platform that is both highly sensitive, modular and potentially re-usable

Highly efficient fullerene and non-fullerene based ternary organic solar cells incorporating a new tetrathiocin-cored semiconductor

A new dual-chain oligothiophene-based organic semiconductor, EH-5T-TTC, is presented. The molecule contains two conjugated chains linked by a fused tetrathiocin core. X-ray crystallography reveals a boat conformation within the 8-membered sulfur heterocycle core and extensive π–π and intermolecular sulfur–sulfur interactions in the bulk, leading to a 2-dimensional structure. This unusual molecule has been studied as a ternary component in organic solar cell blends containing the electron donor PTB7-Th and both fullerene (PC71BM) and non-fullerene acceptors ITIC and EH-IDTBR. By incorporating EH-5T-TTC as a ternary component, the power conversion efficiency of the binary blends containing non-fullerene acceptor increases by 17% (from 7.8% to 9.2%) and by 85% for the binary blend with fullerene acceptor (from 3.3% to 6.3%). Detailed characterisation of the ternary blend systems implies that the ternary small molecule EH-5T-TTC functions differently in polymer:fullerene and polymer:non-fullerene blends and has dual functions of morphology modification and complementary spectral absorption

Polymer colour converter with very high modulation bandwidth for visible light communications

We thank EPSRC for financial support from the UP-VLC Project Grant (EP/K00042X/1). I.D.W.S. and P.J.S. are Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders.For white light data communications, broad-band light emitting materials are required, whose emission can be rapidly modulated in intensity. We report the synthesis, photophysics and application of a novel semiconducting polymer for use as a high bandwidth colour converter, to replace commercial phosphors in white LEDs. The high modulation bandwidth (470 MHz) is 140 times higher than that measured using a conventional LED phosphor.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

BODIPY star-shaped molecules as solid state colour converters for visible light communications

We thank EPSRC for financial support from the UP-VLC Programme Grant (EP/K00042X/1). I.D.W.S. and P.J.S. are Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders. The research data supporting this publication can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.17630/20163d03-6cc2-43b6-915c-d271f5220454.In this paper we study a family of solid-state, organic semiconductors for visible light communications. The star-shaped molecules have a boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) core with a range of side arm lengths which control the photophysical properties. The molecules emit red light with photoluminescence quantum yields ranging from 22 - 56 %. Thin films of the most promising BODIPY molecules were used as a red colour converter for visible light communications. The film enabled colour conversion with a modulation bandwidth of 73 MHz, which is 16 times higher than of a typical phosphor used in LED lighting systems. A data rate of 370 Mbit/s was demonstrated using On-Off keying modulation in a free space link with a distance of ~15 cm.PostprintPublisher PDFPeer reviewe

A saturated red color converter for visible light communication using a blend of star-shaped organic semiconductors

Authors would like to acknowledge the EPSRC for financial support for the UP-VLC (EP/K00042X/1). PJS and IDWS also acknowledge Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Awards.We report a study of blends of semiconducting polymers as saturated red color converters to replace commercial phosphors in hybrid LEDs for visible light communication (VLC). By blending two star-shaped organic semiconductor molecules, we found a near complete energy transfer (> 90% efficiency) from the green-emitting truxene-cored compound T4BT-B to the red-emitting boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) cored materials. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the capability of these materials as fast color converters for VLC by measuring their intrinsic optical modulation bandwidth and data rate. The measured 3 dB modulation bandwidth of blends (~55 MHz) is more than 10 times higher than commercially available LED phosphors and also higher than the red-emitting BODIPY color converter alone in solution. The data rate achieved with this blend is 20 times higher than measured with a commercially available phosphor based color converter.PostprintPeer reviewe

A cross-linkable, organic down-converting material for white light emission from hybrid LEDs

Acknowledgements: The authors thank EPSRC for funding through grants EP/P02744X/2 and EP/R03480X/1. DJW acknowledges support from EPSRC fellowship (EP/N01202X/2).Cinnamate-functionalised organic green emissive molecules can be UV-cured to give physically stable polymer films for use in white light hybrid LEDs.</jats:p