Speaker:
Prof. Matthew J. Fuchter, University of Oxford.
Tittle: Applying chiral conjugated materials to circularly polarized optoelectronic devices: Challenges and opportunities
Time: 10:00 September 15th, 2026 (Tuesday)
Venue: Conference Room No.6, Building No.5
Host: Prof. Zhiyong Tang
Abstract:
Matthew Fuchter is Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and the Sydney Bailey Fellow in Chemistry at St Peter's College Oxford. He runs a multidisciplinary research group with a broad array of interests in functional molecules, materials and medicines. In fundamental research, his work has significantly contributed to the development of chiral materials for optoelectronic applications and photoswitchable molecules for diverse functional applications. In translational research, he is an inventor of two different drugs (Samuraciclib and APL-4098) undergoing clinical trials for cancer therapy and is a Founder, Non-Executive Director and Head of Chemistry for NK:IO Ltd, an immune-oncology spinout company. He has been awarded several prizes in recognition of his work. These include a Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in the United Kingdom (2020), conferred by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of Chemistry Corday-Morgan Prize (2021), Stephanie L. Kwolek Award (2022), and Malcolm Campbell Memorial Prize (2023). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (since 2015) and the European Academy of Sciences (since 2023).
Info.:
We have an ongoing interest in the development of conjugated chiral molecules which can emit and detect circularly polarized (CP) light within thin film materials and in optoelectronic devices. CP light is central to many applications, including data storage, quantum computation, biosensing, environmental monitoring and display technologies. Such technologies require the generation of device compatible materials and a clear understanding of the chiroptical mechanisms at play. With a focus on chiral organic polymeric thin film materials, this talk will give an overview of our strategies to maximize the selectivity of such chiroptical responses in devices through molecular design, materials processing and device architecture. Key and surprising results will be showcased and discussed, including the role of polymer supramolecular assembly in large chiroptical responses, and the observation and exploitation of anomalous circularly polarized electroluminescence. Recent unpublished results will also be discussed that allow increased selectivity in the detection of CP light in devices.
