Time Resolved Spectroscopy of 21st Century Materials

This project is a physical chemistry project that will involve the development of advanced computational and spectroscopic techniques for the investigation of novel 21st century materials. We will focus on the use of state-of-the-art, time resolved, transient absorption and emission spectroscopy to interrogate a range of compounds both organic and inorganic compounds of potential industrial relevance. In the first instance, we will investigate the photophysical properties of a range of quinoxalene based iridium complexes, which are remarkably useful as tunable phosphors. We will use both experimental and computational chemistry techniques to assist in the understanding of the electronic character of these complexes, for example examining the position and intensity of absorption and emission bands relative to the ligand design and binding motifs, and how the magnitude of the spin orbit coupling matrix elements alter the emissive properties. We then seek to use this structure-activity information to inform upon the rational design of inorganic complexes synthesized for their high triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion efficiencies, and how we might maximise the electron energy transfers involved in the upconversion process.