Solvay’s $3 million OLED boost

Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE) and

have announced a $3 million deal for OLED research.

Solvay, an international chemical and pharmaceutical group headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, has signed a three-year commitment with Georgia Tech to fund research in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

"Solvay’s partnership represents a substantial investment in Georgia Tech and signifies the company’s confidence in Georgia Tech’s ability to provide end-to-end resources encompassing modelling, synthesis, fabrication and testing,” said Seth Marder, director of COPE.

Solvay’s commitment to Georgia Tech will help fund research in OLEDs, thin-films of organic molecules that give off light when electricity is applied. OLEDs could be used in everything from television and computer monitors to household lighting to handheld computing devices, such as MP3 players and personal digital assistants (PDAs).

COPE has already developed a material platform for OLEDs that may be deposited over large areas by ink-jet printing and patterned using standard photolithography. Georgia Tech researchers have found that exposing the material to ultraviolet light leads to hardened materials that are insoluble and maintain stability under high temperatures. This allows researchers to build a multi-layered solid-state device from liquid materials.

Léopold Demiddeleer, director of Solvay Corporate R&D and New Business Development, said, “The New Business Development division of the Solvay Group was looking worldwide to build a strong knowledge and innovation base in advanced materials for organic electronics. COPE was right on target, at the right time and at the right location for us. This winning partnership will take advantage of the world-class expertise of COPE and the industrial potential of Solvay in this highly challenging field. I consider this as the first critical step of a major long-term programme for the company.”