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Who we are
We are a young and dynamic research group based in Bern, Switzerland, and led by Prof. Natalie Banerji. In our group, chemists as well as physicists and material scientists work side by side to understand and optimize electronic devices based on organic electronic materials. In addition, we combine the best of two worlds by welcoming researchers from all over the world and by teaching local students from Bern.
This combination of different backgrounds and experiences forms a powerful symbiosis that enables us to understand the underlying principles of charge transport in the materials we study.
Our research interests
Our objective is to understand fundamental material properties (e.g., light–matter interactions, electron transfer processes, charge transport, molecular recognition) of organic and hybrid semiconductors, with applications in new generation solar cells, organic transistors, and organic bioelectronics. The current gap between missing fundamental understanding and the blind development of applications needs to be filled in order to achieve intelligent design of high-performance devices.
Our research revolves around the central question of what happens on the ultrashort time scale and ultrasmall length scale in organic solids to induce macroscopic function in devices, and how this can be optimized. Experimentally, we use a complementary palette of techniques combining (time-resolved) spectroscopy, pulsed photocurrent methods, terahertz experiments, Stark-effect spectroscopy, and device testing.
News
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Natalie at Nature Conference in Nanjing
Natalie had the privilege to attend the Nature Conference on Perovskite and Organic Photovoltaics in Nanjing. Great Science, great company and great food! Immense thank you to the organizers.
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New research published!
We are pleased to share our new paper entitled ”Free Charge Carrier Generation by Visible-Light-Absorbing Organic Spacers in Ruddlesden–Popper Layered Perovskites”. Combining multiple spectroscopic techniques, the increase of light harvesting and the generation and spatial separation of charge carriers in the new synthesized (NDI-DAE)2PbI4 has been demonstrated. Many thanks to Kevin Sivula group at EPFL […]
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New research published!
We are very pleased to announce our latest publication. Olivier investigated PEDOT copolymers with oligo(ethylene oxy) side-chains and found stability and performance improvements. Many thanks to the group of John Reynolds for making this collaboration possible!
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Group excursion to Aquatis in Lausanne!
For this year’s group excursion, we went to Aquatis in Lausanne where we marveled at exotic wildlife and sea life animals. The excursion was then rounded off by a dinner at Natalie’s place. Huge thanks to Natalie for making this great experience possible!
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Welcome Alan!
We warmly welcome Alan Eduardo Ávila Ramírez in our group! He is joining FemtoMat for a PhD project where he will investigate the electrochemical doping of organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors for the ICONIC (In-situ & operando organiC electrochemical transistors monitored by non-destructive spectroscopies for Organic cmos-like NeuromorphIc Circuits) project. All the best for the start!
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Isabelle, Basil and Maxi at SCS Fall meeting in Fribourg
Isabelle, Basil and Maxi went to Fribourg last week to present their work at the Fall meeting of the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS). Thanks to all of you for your contribution and the very nice posters!
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Christian and Maxi present at the First Year Symposium
Last week, Christian and Maxi presented their work at the First Year Graduate Student Symposium in Bern. The symposium allows PhD students to present the work they already achieved after one year and receive feedback from the board of professors at the DCBP. Maxi also won a prize for the best presentation. Thanks to both […]
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Goodbye Soif!
Two weeks ago, we sadly had to say goodbye to our visiting PhD researcher Md Soif Ahmed. After he successfully defended his thesis, he will now head off to Madrid and join the research group of Enrique Cánovas at imdea nanociencia for a PostDoc. Thanks for all the good time in the lab and wishing […]
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Isabelle at Gordon Research Conference in Lucca
Isabelle traveled to Lucca in Bella Italia to present her work on the enhancement of charge transport properties using in-plane oriented organic semiconductors. Thanks for your contribution and congratulations for winning the best poster prize, Isabelle!
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Natalie at ICSM Dresden
Natalie went to Dresden to attend the ICSM conference and to give an invited talk on the ionic and electronic charge transport in organic electrochemical transistors.