Photoconductive properties of conjugated polymers

The research described in my dissertation has involved the fabrication and characterisation of photovoltaic cells based on conjugated polymers, including the widely studied polymer poly(p-phenylenevinylene). These materials have semiconducting properties which arise from the delocalisation of electrons along the π-electron systems of the polymer chains. Research into these materials is motivated both by their novel electronic properties, and also their potential for use in a wide range of applications including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), thin-film transistors, and photovoltaic cells (solar cells and light detectors). Light absorbed in a photovoltaic cell generates opposite charges which are collected at two different electrodes, giving rise to an electric current