Associate Professor Shih-Chun Lo
Laboratory: Chemistry Building (68), Level 9
Primary research interest
Functional (organics & organometallics) materials design, synthesis and characterisation for organic opto-electronics
About me
I have held a prestigious Swire Scholarship while carrying out my DPhil study on organic materials for solar cells and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) at the University of Oxford, UK, (1996-2000). My post-doctoral research at Oxford University focused on the design, synthesis and characterisation of fluorescent and phosphorescent dendrimers (branched macromolecules) for OLEDs. I played a key role in electro-active dendrimers development so that light-emitting dendrimers have been recognised internationally as the third main class of OLED materials (alongside small molecules and pi-conjugated polymers). In December 2007, I joined the University as a Lecturer in Chemistry of Materials.
Research focus and collaborations
My research group focuses on functional materials development (from novel molecular design, synthesis and characterisation to advanced thermal/photophysical/electrochemical characterisations in device fabrication and analysis) using small molecules, oligomers, dendrimers and polymers for opto-electronics (e.g., next-generation light-emitting displays, solid-state lighting, lasers, organic solar cells, photodetectors and sensors), superconductors, health-care applications (e.g., cancer detection and therapy by multiphoton absorption), and clean fuel generation (e.g., water splitting driven by sunlight). These projects are interdisciplinary with close collaboration with leading researchers within the School, University, Australia and overseas.
Honours students and PhD candidates who have excellent organic synthetic chemistry skills and experiences, and high interest in new materials development for organic opto-electronics should contact me ASAP.
Projects and patents
Funded projects
- Quantum and Advanced Technologies Commercialisation Infrastructure Program: 2024-2027, Queensland Photon Detector Characterisation Facility.
- JSPS Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (International Leading Research): 2023-2029, Creation of Quantum Molecular Electronics by Fusion of Advanced Materials Chemistry and Quantum Solid-State Physics and Fostering Global Researchers
- ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities: 2023, Integrated High-Throughput Material Synthesis and Characterisation System
- Intrenational Joint Usage/Research: 2022-2023
- ARC Discovery Project: 2020-2023, High-Brightness, Low Efficiency Roll-off Materials for Augmented Realities
- JSPS Core-to-Core Program: 2018-2023, Clarification of TADF Emission and Challenge for Novel Light-Emitting Materials
- Australia-India Strategic Research Fund: 2017-2020, Large Area Opto-Electronics for Australia and India
- ARC Discovery Project: 2016-2019, Light Emitting Transistors: A New Route to Digital Displays and Lasers
- ARC Discovery Project: 2014-2016, Molecular Alignment in Organic Semiconductors
- ARC Discovery Project: 2012-2014, Fundamental Processes in Organic Photodetectors - Towards Next Generation Imaging and Sensing Systems
- ARC Discovery Project: 2010-2012, Spin-Liquids, Antiferromagnetism, and Superconductivity in Organic Charge Transfer Salts, Synthesis, Neutron Scattering and Theory
- ARC Linkage Infrastructure Equipment Facilities: 2011, High Pressure Facility for Optical Spectroscopy – Investigation of Novel Superconductors and Strongly Correlated Electron Systems
- Australian Synchrotron Beamtime: 2011, 2012, 2022 (2x)
- Smart Futures National and International Research Alliances Program: 2009-2013, Organic Solar Cell Alliance
- UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure Funds: 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019
- UQ Global Strategy and Partnerships Seed Fund: 2018
- UQ BIRRST - Oleader Technologies Co., Ltd.: 2024
- UQ BIRRST - Science with Impact Fund: 2020
- One-UQ RIIS: 2021
- UQ Vice-Chancellor's Strategic Initiatives Fund: 2022-2024
Patents
>70 patents globally on organic semiconductors and opto-electronics including organic lasers, and water-splitting technologies.
Teaching interests
- Organic Chemistry
- Advanced Organic Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Chemistry
- Experimental Chemistry
- Nanoscience
- Introduction to Research
Achievements and awards
- SCMB Outstanding Contribution to Research
- Progress 100 Visiting Professor (with Prof C. Adachi, Kyushu University, Japan)
- Visiting Researcher (with Prof S. Tokito at ROEL, Yamagata University, Japan)
- Visiting Academic (with Prof D. D. C. Bradley and Prof M. Moloney at Oxford University, UK)
Invited journal reviewer:
- ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
- ACS Energy Letters
- ACS Nano
- ACS Photonics
- ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
- Advanced Energy Materials
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Advanced Optical Materials
- Advanced Photonic Research
- Advanced Materials
- Angewandte Chemie
- Chemical Communications
- Chemical Science
- Chemistry-A European Journal
- Journal of Materials Chemistry C
- Journal of Organic Chemistry
- Journal of The American Chemical Society
- Macromolecules
- Nanoscale
- Nature Communications
- Organic Letters
- Science
Invited grant application reviewer
- ARC Discovery Projects, Future Fellowships, Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards, & Linkage Schemes
- The Innovation and Technology Commission of Hong Kong
- The Research Grants Council of Hong Kong
Featured publications
- Shukla, Atul, Mai, Van Thi Ngoc, Divya, Velayudhan V., Suresh, Cherumuttathu H., Paul, Megha, Karunakaran, Venugopal, McGregor, Sarah Katariina Martikainen, Allison, Ilene, Narayanan Unni, K. N., Ajayaghosh, Ayyappanpillai, Namdas, Ebinazar B. and Lo, Shih-Chun (2022).Amplified Spontaneous Emission from Zwitterionic Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 144 (30), 13499-13510. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c02163
- Hasan, Monirul, Saggar, Siddhartha, Shukla, Atul, Bencheikh, Fatima, Sobus, Jan, McGregor, Sarah K. M., Adachi, Chihaya, Lo, Shih-Chun and Namdas, Ebinazar B. (2022).Probing polaron-induced exciton quenching in TADF based organic light-emitting diodes. Nature Communications, 13 (1) 254, 254. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-27739-x
- Gao, Can, Wong, Wallace W. H., Qin, Zhengsheng, Lo, Shih-Chun, Namdas, Ebinazar B., Dong, Huanli and Hu, Wenping (2021).Application of Triplet–Triplet Annihilation Upconversion in Organic Optoelectronic Devices: Advances and Perspectives. Advanced Materials, 33 (45) 2100704, 1-25. doi: 10.1002/adma.202100704
- Mai, Van T. N., Ahmad, Viqar, Mamada, Masashi, Fukunaga, Toshiya, Shukla, Atul, Sobus, Jan, Krishnan, Gowri, Moore, Evan G., Andersson, Gunther G., Adachi, Chihaya, Namdas, Ebinazar B. and Lo, Shih-Chun (2020).Solid cyclooctatetraene-based triplet quencher demonstrating excellent suppression of singlet–triplet annihilation in optical and electrical excitation. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 5623, 1-9. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-19443-z
- Mai, Van T. N., Shukla, Atul, Senevirathne, A. M. Chathuranganie, Allison, Ilene, Lim, Hyunsoo, Lepage, Romain J., McGregor, Sarah K. M., Wood, Michael, Matsushima, Toshinori, Moore, Evan G., Krenske, Elizabeth H., Sandanayaka, Atula S. D., Adachi, Chihaya, Namdas, Ebinazar B. and Lo, Shih-Chun (2020).Lasing operation under long-pulse excitation in solution-processed organic gain medium: toward CW lasing in organic semiconductors. Advanced Optical Materials, 8 (21) 2001234, 2001234. doi: 10.1002/adom.202001234
- Ahmad, Viqar, Sobus, Jan, Greenberg, Mitchell, Shukla, Atul, Philippa, Bronson, Pivrikas, Almantas, Vamvounis, George, White, Ronald, Lo, Shih-Chun and Namdas, Ebinazar B. (2020).Charge and exciton dynamics of OLEDs under high voltage nanosecond pulse: towards injection lasing. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 4310, 4310. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18094-4
- Shukla, Atul, Wallwork, Nicholle R., Li, Xin, Sobus, Jan, Mai, Van T. N., McGregor, Sarah K. M., Chen, Kay, Lepage, Romain J., Krenske, Elizabeth H., Moore, Evan G., Namdas, Ebinazar B. and Lo, Shih‐Chun (2019).Deep‐red lasing and amplified spontaneous emission from nature inspired bay‐annulated indigo derivatives. Advanced Optical Materials, 8 (2) 1901350, 1901350. doi: 10.1002/adom.201901350
- Allison, Ilene, Lim, Hyunsoo, Shukla, Atul, Ahmad, Viqar, Hasan, Monirul, Deshmukh, Kedar D., Wawrzinek, Robert, McGregor, Sarah Katariina Martikainen, Clegg, Jack K., Divya, Velayudhan V., Govind, Chinju, Suresh, Cherumuttathu H., Karunakaran, Venugopal, K. N., Narayanan Unni, Ajayaghosh, Ayyappanpillai, Namdas, Ebinazar B. and Lo, Shih-Chun (2019).Solution processable deep-red phosphorescent Pt(II) complex: direct conversion from its Pt(IV) species via a base promoted reduction. ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 1 (7) acsaelm.9b00246, 1304-1313. doi: 10.1021/acsaelm.9b00246
- Mai, Van T. N., Shukla, Atul, Mamada, Masashi, Maedera, Satoshi, Shaw, Paul E., Sobus, Jan, Allison, Ilene, Adachi, Chihaya, Namdas, Ebinazar B. and Lo, Shih-Chun (2018) Low Amplified Spontaneous Emission Threshold and Efficient Electroluminescence from a Carbazole Derivatized Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer Dye. ACS Photonics, . doi:10.1021/acsphotonics.8b00907
- Sobus, Jan, Bencheikh, Fatima, Mamada, Masashi, Wawrzinek, Robert, Ribierre, Jean-Charles, Adachi, Chihaya, Lo, Shih-Chun and Namdas, Ebinazar B. (2018) High performance p- and n-type light-emitting field-effect transistors employing thermally activated delayed fluorescence. Advanced Function Materials, 28 28: 1800340. doi:10.1002/adfm.201800340
- Chaudhry, Mujeeb Ullah, Muhieddine, Khalid, Wawrzinek, Robert, Li, Jun, Lo, Shih-Chun and Namdas, Ebinazar B. (2018) Nano-alignment in semiconducting polymer films: a path to achieve high current density and brightness in organic light emitting transistors. ACS Photonics, 5 6: 2137-2144. doi:10.1021/acsphotonics.8b00011
- Ullah, Mujeeb, Wawrzinek, Robert, Nagiri, Ravi C. R., Lo, Shih-Chun and Namdas, Ebinazar B. (2017) UV-deep blue-visible light-emitting organic field effect transistors with high charge carrier mobilities. Advanced Optical Materials, 5 8: 1600973.1-1600973.7. doi:10.1002/adom.201600973
- Ullah, Mujeeb, Wawrzinek, Robert, Maasoumi, Fatemeh, Lo, Shih-Chun and Namdas, Ebinazar B. (2016).Semitransparent and low-voltage operating organic light-emitting field-effect transistors processed at low temperatures. Advanced Optical Materials, 4 (7), 1022-1026. doi: 10.1002/adom.201600050
- Wawrzinek, Robert, Muhieddine, Khalid, Ullah, Mujeeb, Koszo, Peter B., Shaw, Paul E., Grosjean, Arnaud, Maasoumi, Fatemeh, Stoltzfus, Dani M., Clegg, Jack K., Burn, Paul L., Namdas, Ebinazar B.and Lo, Shih-Chun (2016) Orange-red-light-emitting field-effect transistors based on phosphorescent Pt(II) complexes with area emission. Advanced Optical Materials, 4 11: 1867-1874. doi:10.1002/adom.201600460
- Kim, Il Ku, Li, Xin, Ullah, Mujeeb, Shaw, Paul E., Wawrzinek, Robert, Namdas, Ebinazar B. and Lo, Shih-Chun (2015).High-performance, fullerene-free organic photodiodes based on a solution-processable indigo. Advanced Materals, 27 (41), 6390-6395. doi: 10.1002/adma.201502936
Researcher biography
Organic functional materials development (design, synthesis & characterisation) for optoelectronics
Associate Professor Shih-Chun Lo (Lawrence)
Lawrence held a prestigious Swire Scholarship while carrying out his PhD study on semiconductor material development for organic solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs) at Oxford University, UK (1996-2000). His post-doctoral research at Oxford University focused on the design, synthesis and characterisation of fluorescent and phosphorescent dendrimers for higly efficient LEDs. Dendrimers have been recognised internationally as the third main class of LED materials, alongside small molecules and polymers, in which he played a key role. In December 2007, he joined the University of Queensland as a Lecturer in Chemistry of Materials. His research work has focused on the development of new functional semicondcutor materials for quantum based opto-electronic applications (e.g. solar cells, LEDs, photodetectors, sensors, superconductors & organic lasers) as well as clean energy generation.