Nadia Korovina

Research Interests:

• Photophysical processes of organic compounds for sustainable optoelectronic devices
• Green chemistry techniques and renewable material sources in development of OLED components

CURE-E Course: Organic Chemistry Lab (CHEM 270L)

Project Title: “Greening” OLED Emitter Synthesis in Organic Chemistry Lab

Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are becoming ever more present in our daily lives. The majority of the Samsung Galaxy phone, as well as the newer iPhones, employ OLED technology in their displays. These devices utilize a set of organic molecules to emit light in three desired colors: red, green, and blue. OLED displays are a more environmentally-desirable choice compared to the traditional LCD displays due to their energy-saving operation, however, the synthesis of OLED emitter molecules is far from sustainable. For instance, the currently commercially available OLED emitter molecules contain a rare iridium metal, which is not native to our planet. Metal-free organic molecules capable of thermally activated delayed fluorescence are emerging alternatives to such emitters, but their synthesis still requires modification to become totally sustainable. In this CURE-E CHEM 270 laboratory, students will have a goal of developing a “greener” synthesis of OLED emitter molecules. This will entail learning the standard organic chemistry purification and reaction techniques, applying them to standard OLED emitter synthesis, then splitting into teams and developing a modified synthesis of such OLED emitters, where at least one aspect of the reaction or purification procedures is replaced with a “greener” alternative.