Physical Chemistry
Research in physical chemistry at Karlstad University is fundamental and of applied relevance. The common thread is the molecular interactions between components in complex systems; polymer-polymer, polymer-colloid, and interactions during concentration gradients.
More specific, morphology in blended films for organic solar cells, prepared from solution, electron transfer from donor to acceptor molecules, solvent effects on molecular interactions, and solubility in complex fluids are studied. The methods used are mainly absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy.
One important feature of research is that cooperative research reinforces findings; to study the same scientific question from several aspects leads to a more comprehensive picture of the studied system. This has led to that research in physical chemistry at Karlstad University is performed in collaboration with other groups. Within our own university, we collaborate with scientists at Material Physics on systems relevant for organic photovoltaics. Collaborations with scientists, within the same scientific frame-work, at other universities include Lund University, Linköping University, and Chalmers University of Technology – all in Sweden, as well as Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.
Our research receives financial support from the Swedish National Space Agency and Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Selected publications:
Fluorescence Spectroscopy Studies on Polymer Blend Solutions and Films for Photovoltaics
van Stam J, Hansson R, Lindqvist C, Ericsson L, Moons E
Colloids Surfaces A, 2015, 483, 292-296, doi:10.1016/j.colsurfa.2015.04.003
Comparing Morphology in Dip-Coated and Spin-Coated Polyfluorene:Fullerene Films
van Stam J, Van fraeyenhoven P, Andersén M, Moons E
Proc. SPIE 9942, Organic Photovoltaics XVII, 99420D, 2016; doi:10.1117/12.2237819
Engineering two-phase and three-phase microstructures from water-based dispersions of nanoparticles for exo-friendly polymer solar cell applications
Holmes NP, Marks M, Cave JM, Feron K, Barr MG, Fahy A, Sharma A, Pan X, Kilcoyne DAL, Zhou X, Lewis DA, Andersson MR, van Stam J, Walker AB, Moons E, Belcher WJ, Dastoor PC
Chem. Mater., 2018, 30, 6521-6531, doi: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b03222
Fullerene Aggregation in Thin Films of Polymer Blends for Solar Cell Applications
Lindqvist C, Moons E, van Stam J
Materials, 2018, 11, 2068-2075, doi:10.3390/ma11112068
A lattice model approach to the morphology formation from ternary mixtures during the evaporation of one component
Cirillo ENM, Colangeli M, Moons E, Muntean A, Muntean S-A, van Stam J
Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics, 2019, 228, 55-68, doi: 10.1140/epjst/e2019-800140-1
Unravelling donor-acceptor film morphology formation for OPV environmentally-friendly OPV ink formulations
Holmes NP, Munday H, Barr MG, Thomsen L, Marcus MA, Kilcoyne ALD, Fahy A, van Stam J, Dastoor PC, Moons E
Green Chem., 2019, 21, 5090-5103, doi: 10.1039/c9gc02288k
Using Solubility Parameters to Model More Environmentally Friendly Solvent Blends for Organic
Solar Cell Active Layers
Jalan I, Lundin L, van Stam J
Materials, 2019, 12, 3889-3901, doi:10.3390/ma12233889