Progress in molecular materials and devices

Abstract

Initial studies on organic semiconductors began in the early 1960s in China. In the 1970s, a specialized laboratory (Lab. No. 6) was established at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS), which housed the first research team engaged in this field. Since then, this team has been performing cutting-edge research on molecular materials including organic semiconductors, organic photoconductors, conducting polymers, organic conductors and superconductors, and molecular magnets. In the early 1990s, the areas of research were expanded to molecular devices with emphases on organic light-emitting diodes, organic field-effect transistors, organic solar cells, chemical/biological sensors and single-molecule devices. The Ministry of Science and Technology of China, National Natural Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) launched a series of development projects that significantly promoted research on molecular materials and devices. Presently, several institutes at CAS and universities are conducting fruitful research in related fields, and have recently obtained numerous influential achievements that have had a profound impact on the international science community. Currently, research from China makes an important contribution to this field.