Functional Polymers for Capacitors, Organic Electronics, and Batteries

Polymers with engineered functionalities are commonly used in the fields of electronics and energy. Tailored molecular design and approaches to new polymer architectures are essential to advance materials discovery in such space. Dr. Liu's research focuses on designing molecular and macromolecular systems for polymers that can effectively transport charges, which are relevant to optoelectronic materials used in transistors and batteries. Dr. Liu will present examples of linear conjugated polymers and two-dimensionally crosslinked (semi)crystalline polymers, known as covalent organic frameworks, inspired by the novel reactivity of specifically designed molecular systems. In contrast to optoelectronics where charge transport is essential, there are also great needs to inhibit charge transport in devices such as capacitors. To address this issue, Dr. Liu will discuss examples of dielectric polymers and strategies to improve their breakdown strength and capacitive energy storage properties under extreme electric fields and temperatures.