One of the greatest challenges in artificial photosynthesis is bridging the gap between stabilizing initial charge separation and achieving multi-electron, proton-coupled charge accumulation—critical for driving water-splitting and fuel catalysis.
Join Karen Mulfort of Argonne National Laboratory’s Solar Energy Conversion Group as she shares her current research on copper-based complexes as platforms for directional charge transfer. She will explore how microenvironment effects, dynamic intermolecular assemblies, and ligand design strategies enable long-lived charge separation and charge accumulation through proton-coupled electron transfer. Discover valuable insights for integrating earth-abundant molecular photosensitizers into catalytic and electrode-based systems for light-driven energy conversion.
Then, Elsa Reichmanis of Lehigh University’s Institute for Functional Materials and Devices will discuss the transformative potential of mixed conduction polymers—materials capable of transporting both ions and electrons. These organic and polymer systems open new possibilities for energy storage, neuromorphic computing, and bio/environmental sensing, offering sustainability, flexibility, and efficient processability. Learn how polymer chemistry influences interfacial interactions, enabling stable and high-performance devices.
Register now for free to discover how these innovations are shaping the future of sustainable energy and advanced electronic materials. This ACS Webinar is moderated by Antonio Capezza of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and co-produced with ACS Publications in commemoration of Earth Day.
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What You Will Learn
- Bio-inspired strategies for enabling directional charge separation
- The impact of ligand design on the excited-state dynamics of copper complexes
- How copper-coordinating ligands stabilize charge accumulation
- The role of polymers in energy storage and (opto)electronic applications
- How polymer chemistry affects material interactions and device performance
- How chemical design, coupled with computational and in situ characterization led to new insights into the underlying mechanisms
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