We are inviting abstracts for poster presentations. Please send to: cpe-admin@imperial.ac.uk.
The RSC is offering three £100 RSC book vouchers fromMaterials Horizons,Journal of Materials Chemistry CԻRSC Applied Interfacesfor poster prizes.
Agenda and abstracts will be posted as they are received.
Attendance is free, but we ask that you do register:
13 July 2026
Confirmed speakers include:
- , Radiation detection using solution processed organic (and organic-inorganic hybrid) films
- , From imaging to implantable dosimeters: The journey of bulk heterojunction radiation sensors
- , Beyond bandgap engineering: spin polarisation in organic semiconductors for photocatalytic water splitting
- , Talk title TBC
14 July 2026
ABSTRACTS
Beyond bandgap engineering: spin polarisation in organic semiconductors for photocatalytic water splitting
Bob C. Schroeder
Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, UK
E-mail: b.c.schroeder@ucl.ac.uk
The escalating global energy crisis, coupled with the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels, has intensified the search for sustainable energy solutions. Photocatalytic water splitting—using sunlight, water, and a catalyst to generate hydrogen—represents a particularly promising approach to clean energy production. Yet this process faces a critical limitation: the formation of unwanted hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) byproducts due to uncontrolled radical spin states, severely compromising both efficiency and commercial viability.[1]
A breakthrough may lie in exploiting molecular chirality. Beyond its recognition since the 19th century, chirality has revealed a remarkable quantum mechanical property: chiral molecules can selectively filter electron spins through the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. This phenomenon opens an unprecedented pathway to controlling spin states in water splitting reactions, potentially eliminating problematic byproduct formation.[2]
Meanwhile, organic semiconductors (OSCs) have emerged as transformative materials across electronic applications, from transistors and OLEDs to flexible photovoltaics. Their appeal stems from tuneable electronic properties, mechanical flexibility, solution-based processing, and cost-effectiveness. Combining these advantages with chiral spin selectivity could revolutionize hydrogen production, creating efficient and scalable clean energy systems.[3]
This research presents the development of a novel chiral OSC that not only exhibits the desired CISS effect but also enables comprehensive analysis of OSC performance in water splitting applications. Through comparison with both achiral reference materials and racemic analogues, we demonstrate the unique advantages of chirality. Our results reveal a striking four-fold enhancement in current density—directly correlating to hydrogen evolution—when comparing our chiral OSC to non-chiral counterparts. This dramatic improvement demonstrates how incorporating chirality alone can achieve remarkable advances in water splitting efficiency. The enhancement stems from CISS-mediated spin control, enabling optimized catalytic pathways and substantially improved hydrogen generation for renewable energy applications.
References: [1] W. Mtangi et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, pp. 2794–2798. [2] R. Naaman et al., J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2012, 3, pp. 2178–2187. [3] J. Kosco et al., Nat. Mater., 2020, 19, pp. 559-565.
From imaging to implantable dosimeters: The journey of bulk heterojunction radiation sensors
Dr Imalka Jayawardena
Advanced Technology Institute, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH.
X-ray detectors are a key element in modern healthcare diagnostics, cancer therapy, homeland security and non-destructive evaluation among many fields. However, the potential applications of X-ray detectors are limited by several factors including the system cost, areal limitations, and the requirement for thick crystals for efficient X-ray attenuation which in turn limits conformability on complex shapes and imposes a requirement for high operating voltages for efficient charge extraction/signal generation.
The use of bulk heterojunctions comprising of organic semiconductors and X-ray attenuating nanoparticles have emerged as an alternate technology that has the can address some of the limitations with conventional X-ray detector technologies. For example, the solution processable nature of these blends allows for fabrication of large area detectors on flexible substrates that can conform to complex shapes.
Here I will discuss the progress made by our group over the last decade on pushing the application space of these detectors. Starting from our observations and developments on the unusual broadband response (from keV to MeV range) of this system[1], I will discuss some of our early work on rigid imaging systems[2], to more conformable dose mapping systems targeting improved cancer therapy[3]. The talk will also discuss how we overcame rather high dark currents [4] through a simple device engineering step and how in our recent work, we are expanding the application space of these detectors to implantable architectures [5,6] as a probe for dose measurement closer to tumor sites.
References
[1] Thirimanne, H.M., Jayawardena, K.D.G.I., Parnell, A.J. et al. Nat Commun 9, 2926 (2018). [2] Jayawardena, K.D.G.I., Thirimanne, H.M., Tedde, S.F. et al. ACS Nano 13, 6973 (2019). [3] Thirimanne, H.M., Jayawardena, K.D.G.I., Nisbet A. et al. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 67 (2020). [4] Nanayakkara M.P.A., Matjačić, L., Wood, S. et al. Adv. Func. Mater. 31, 2008482 [5] Nanayakkara, M.P.A., Masteghin, M.G., Basiricò, L. et al. Adv. Sci. 9, 2101746 (2022). [6] Nanayakkara, M.P.A., He, Q. Ruseckas, A. et al. Adv. Sci. 10 (35), 2304261 (2023).
Linking nanoscale chemical and structural disorder to optoelectronic properties in organic and perovskite semiconductors
Prof Sean Collins
Department of Materials, 51Թ
Despite sustained progress in the performance characteristics of organic semiconductors and halide perovskites, many features of structural and chemical heterogeneity remain poorly understood. Probing how structural and compositional heterogeneity precisely modify properties is crucial for developing new interventions for the fabrication of devices with improved stability throughout device operation. Advances in low-dose, nanometre-resolved electron diffraction have enabled access to this information for linking nanoscale structure to characteristics underpinning energy transport mechanisms [1] and device ageing [2]. When combined with spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope, diffraction tools can offer a direct means to link optical properties to nanoscale structures [3]. This presentation will highlight ongoing work to probe the role of localised, crystallographic defects [4] (including dislocations [5]), crystalline and amorphous phase separation in polymer blend semiconductors [6], as well as compositional heterogeneity in mixed anion lead halide perovskite nanocrystals. Respectively, these observations link disorder in perylene diimide (PDI) ‘nanobelts’ to a reduction in the exciton diffusion coefficient by over two orders of magnitude [4] and elaborate how anion composition modifies the Stokes shift and exciton radius in halide perovskites. These examples underscore the need to further progress multiscale structural and spectroscopic probes to unravel the mechanisms limiting durable performance.
[1] A.J. Sneyd et a. Sci. Adv. 7 (2021) eabh4232.
[2] S. Yoon et al. ACS Energy Lett. 10 (2025) 541–551.
[3] J. Hou et al. Science 374 (2021) 621–625.
[4] C.J.H. Smalley et al. Sci. Adv. 12 (2026) eaed0037.
[5] S.T. Pham et al. Nat. Mater. 24 (2025) 682–687.
[6] S.T. Pham, A.F. Sapnik, S.M. Collins, Small Methods (2026) e70719.