Organic Semiconductors in Artificial Photosynthesis Applications

Abstract

With the announcement of Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2000, organic semiconductors and conjugated structures have been used for various applications like organic solar cells (OSCs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic field effect transistors (OFETs). Due to the common belief that their stability is compromised in solutions (organic and/or aqueous) the exploration of their activity as catalytic materials remains mainly unexplored. Plants use organic molecules, among others, to produce nutrition (glucose) and oxygen with the help of sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. Similar type of organic molecules can be engineered to convert carbon dioxide into value-added chemicals like carbon monoxide, ethanol, methanol etc. In this talk I will give an overview on how organic semiconductors we commonly use in OSCs can be engineered to reduce carbon dioxide[1], oxygen[2] and water[3] using sun light and electricity.