Advanced functional luminescence

The Advanced Functional Luminescence group uses the techniques of chemistry to research materials that allow light and electronic energy to be interchanged.

Research focus

Gaps exist in the research field where physics blends into chemistry. In the Advanced Functional Luminescence group, we take a chemical stance to solve challenges related to the advancement of solar energy, energy conversion and efficient lighting. Our focus is on the creation of materials allowing light and electronic energy to be interchanged.

Photo-active antenna complexes have existed for the last decade or so, but they are not presently widely used in applications. Our goal is to link organic and inorganic chromophores together to create energy-harvesting systems with spectral management techniques that are more efficient and applicable compared to the previous generation chromophores.

Once fabricated, these structures have the potential to advance a wide range of optoelectronic applications. These large antenna complexes will mimic the efficient light-harvesting complexes found in nature, concentrating, splitting, or combining excited states.

The structures we fabricate have potential applications in photovoltaics (PVs), luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), down converters, light emitting diodes (LEDs), water splitting, and optically and electronically pumped lasers. They will also act as compelling models to observe excited state dynamics using laser spectroscopy, which has the potential to provide fundamental knowledge that feeds back into future applications.

Facilities

  • Synthesis: Fume Hood, Schlenk Line, Glove Box.
  • Fabrication: Spin Coater, Blade Coater, Polymerisation, Thermal Evaporator.
  • Physical characterisation: H1 and C13 NMR, IR, Mass Spec, TEM, XRD, SEM, EDX.
  • Optical characterisation: UV Vis, Fluorimeter, Fluorescent Lifetimes, Ultra-fast Photoluminescence, Transient Absorption, Solar simulation.

Academic staff

Nathaniel profile picture

Dr Nathaniel Davis

Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry · Rutherford Discovery Fellow
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences

Current researchers

Post-doctoral

  • Dr Calum Gordon

PhD

  • Lara Browne
  • Jake Hardy
  • Chase Zeke-Smith
  • Sanutep Chan
  • Finnian Smith
  • Nikita Shumilov

MSc

  • Jess Siesicki
  • Alaigne Mare

Undergraduate

  • Jodi Carter

Collaborations

  • The Australasian Community for Advanced Organic Semiconductors.
  • The Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies.
  • The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology.
  • The ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science (University of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT, University of NSW and the University of Sydney).
  • The Optoelectronics Group, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
  • The Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University, Japan.

Publications

View publications related to this research area.

Research funding

The group gratefully acknowledges funding from the following sources:

  • Rutherford Discovery Fellowship—Royal Society
  • Marsden Fund—Royal Society
  • MBIE Endeavour Fund
  • SfTI National Science Challenge
  • Macdiarmid Institute
  • The Dodd Walls Centre
  • Victoria University Trust

Student Achievements

  • 2024—Joan Mattingley and Charles Cameron Scholarship—Jodi Carter
  • 2024—Ernest Marsden Scholarship in Physics—Finnian Smith
  • 2023—PGSA Postgraduate Research Excellence Award—Calum Gordon
  • 2023—NZIC JEOL Brian  Halton Award for Best PhD paper—Calum Gordon
  • 2023—Dodd-Walls centre symposium—Best Talk—Calum Gordon
  • 2023—Dodd-Walls centre symposium—Best Poster—Lilo Nass, Sanutep Chan, Alaigne Maré
  • 2023—Dodd-Walls centre symposium—Outreach Education Championship Trophy— Whole Group
  • 2023—10th International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (AMN10)—Best student presentations—Calum Gordon
  • 2023—10th International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (AMN10)—Best student presentation—Jake Hardy
  • 2023—Inaugural New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium—Best student presentation—Calum Gordon
  • 2022—Conference on Optics, Atoms, and Laser Applications (KOALA)—Best Poster Prize—Chase Zemke-Smith
  • 2022—The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry Conference—ECP sponsored best student poster—Lara Browne
  • 2022—Royal Australian Chemical Institute National Congress—Best student poster in Future and Green energy materials—Lara Browne
  • 2021—The Dodd-Walls centre symposium—Best Poster Prize—Chase Zemke-Smith
  • 2020—Calum Gordon Materials @ University Canterbury—Best student poster

Past members

  • Dr Mike Price
  • Dr Matt Brett
  • Dr Zeineb Ayed
  • Dr Deanna Ayupova
  • Dr Shalin Divya
  • Dr Hellen Nalumaga
  • Dr Chunyan Zeng
  • Dr Sasha Ilina
  • Dr Ethan Woolly
  • Liam Anderson
  • Damon de Clercq
  • Rose Hogg
  • Aurélien Rossi (ENSCP, France)
  • Amy Witzmann (Southampton, UK)