Design and evaluation of organic semiconductors for spintronic, singlet fission and bioelectronic device applications

Organic semiconductors combine the attractive properties of common plastics with electrical conductivities typical of metals, enabling their use across a wide range of emerging technologies. The synthetic utility of these materials allows the optoelectronics to be manipulated towards a diverse set of applications, ranging from photovoltaics to biological sensors. As such this thesis spans across four unique disciplines with organic semiconductors acting as the underlying motif throughout. Chapter 2 focuses on singlet fission, a third-generation photovoltaic technology, aiming to surpass the Shockley-Queisser limit of solar cell efficiency. The synthesis of an original series of indenofluorene dimers, separated by a phenyl bridging unit, is presented herein. The complex optoelectronics of this system were then investigated using transient absorption spectroscopy to elucidate the feasibility for singlet fission. The indenofluorene backbone is further investigated in Chapter 3 as a spin sink material, demonstrating the versatility of this backbone. The quinoidal nature of this unit, alongside the corresponding thiophene-containing analogue of indacenodithiophene and a series of higher biradical character materials are synthesised and probed within a unique spintronic device, specifically the ferromagnetic linewidth broadening experiment. Chapter 4 moves towards the area of organic semiconducting polymers, presenting the effects of sidechain manipulation on the mode of operation for a series of novel n-type polymers containing a fused aromatic backbone and ethylene glycol solubilising chains. These fused systems, synthesised using a metal catalyst free Aldol polycondensation, show excellent ambient stability and promise as semiconductor materials in both thermoelectric devices and organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). Complementary to the n-type OECT channel materials in Chapter 4, a series of p-type materials is showcased in Chapter 5, investigating the effect of hybrid polarity (alkyl and ethylene glycol based) sidechains on OECT device performance. The four disciplines detailed herein are just a sampling of the versatility of organic semiconducting materials.Open Acces

A reference framework for enterprise computing curriculum

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017. An increasing number of universities are offering one form or another of Enterprise Computing (EC) program, while simultaneously a number of enterprises in the private and public sectors have articulated needs for graduates with knowledge in enterprise applications, analytical skills and competencies. The programs often are structured by the knowledge of their faculty and in collaboration with Enterprise Application Solutions Vendors (EASV) providing solutions in this space. Based on their perception of the educational needs of their primary stakeholders (students, parents, employers, society), both within industry and government. This perception of audience needs is often based on interviews, exchange forums, surveys, and informal assessments. As of now, there is no EC reference curriculum identified by academia or industry. Industry and academia often differ in the definition of the scope of EC curriculum. Consequently, the need for a reference framework for enterprise computing curriculum has often been articulated in a variety of meetings within the enterprise community. The aim of this paper is to propose an EC reference curriculum at the undergraduate level based on the expertise of the authors, a study of the EC program at several local, regional, and international universities, the industry needs of EC competencies and the best practices available in academia and industry

Analytics within UAE higher education context

© 2016 IEEE. This paper presents the major findings from a study conducted with four different universities in the U.A.E regarding their use of the learning analytics (LA) capabilities available within their learning management systems (LMS). Data was collected from an online survey instrument, in-depth interviews with IT directors and academic administrators, and a case study in Zayed University. The study reveals that while the examined universities seem to recognize and appreciate the new analytics functions available within learning management systems, they seem to struggle with forming a consistent and effective approach to link those functions to improve the decision-making process. Most popular analytics functions include analytics concerned with curriculum coverage, goal performance, student performance, and early alert systems at the course and degree program levels

Digital Transformation in Higher Education: A Framework for Maturity Assessment

Literature in digital transformation maturity is scarce. Digital transformation in higher education, especially after COVID-19 is seen as inevitable. This research explores digital transformation maturity and challenges within Higher Education. The significance of this study stems from the role digital transformation plays in today’s knowledge economy. This study proposes a new framework based on Deloitte’s 2019 digital transformation assessment framework with Petkovic 2014 mega and major higher education process mapping. The study triangulates the findings of multiple research instruments, including survey, interviews, case study, and direct observation. The research findings show a significant variance between the respondents’ perception of digital transformations maturity levels, and the core requirements of digital transformation maturity. The findings also show the lack of holistic vision, digital transformation competency, and data structure and processing as the leading challenges of digital transformation

A viewer for PostScript documents

We describe a PostScript viewer that provides navigation and annotation functionality similar to that of paper documents using simple unified user-interface techniques.Engineering and Applied Science