Larissa Gomes Franca

My research focuses on developing and exploring energy-efficient materials for key technological applications such as organic light-emitting diodes and solar cells. During my PhD, I have explored a wide range of optical spectroscopy techniques to investigate photophysical processes in organic molecules (e.g. thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters) for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). My current aim is to extend my research scope on other optoelectronic applications, such as optical communications and sensing, as well as spectral conversion. My focus is particularly on the mechanism of spectral conversion, where lower energy photons from the infrared region of the solar spectrum are converted into higher energy photons that can now be harvested by conventional silicon solar cells. To achieve this goal I aim to use the self-ordering properties of liquid crystalline (LC) molecules providing smart and stimuli-responsive materials. My ultimate goal is to achieve control of these materials to modulate the behaviour of spectral converters which use LC molecules in the active layer.