EU - ICONTROL - Interface-Control for Organic Devices

The ICONTROL project relates to the field of organic (opto-) electronic devices. We address the key components that determine device functionality and efficiency, i.e., the inherently existing interfaces between dissimilar materials in devices.

The objectives of the project are:
- Development of universal modification schemes for interfaces involving conjugated organic materials to achieve an unprecedented level of interface control.
- Demonstration of applicability of these schemes in devices.
- Transfer of these schemes to industrially relevant processing.
- Generation of new insight into interfaces comprising organic materials, to provide a solid foundation for the future development of molecular electronics.

Specifically, our schemes will allow for systematic and continuous adjustment of energy levels at virtually all interfaces, in order to provide:
- optimised charge injection/extraction barriers at organic/electrode interfaces.
- optimised energy level offsets at organic/organic interfaces.

The common principle of our interface modification scheme is the introduction of oriented dipoles resulting from charge transfer reactions between specifically designed organic molecules and electrode materials, or between covalently linked donor/acceptor systems. The applicability of the new molecular materials that will be developed within ICONTROL is not limited to one specific interface-type.
On the contrary, one new molecule will be useful to control the energetics at a wide variety of interfaces, making them true multifunctional materials. ICONTROL brings together 5 leading experts from 4 European countries, in order to combine the full expertise and line of actions needed to achieve the objectives of this multidisciplinary research effort: organic synthesis, electronic and structural interface characterization, theoretical modelling, device application, and transfer to industrial processes.