Royal Society Speaker
Brian
Sir Richard Friend FRS
2012 Royal Society of New Zealand Distinguished Speaker
Paper 2.0 – Making smart paper from plastic molecules
How unexpected discoveries lead to new technologies
Dunedin 6pm Monday 15 October
College of Education Auditorium, Union Street East, Dunedin
The lecture is free and open to the general public. Sir Richard Friend will be presenting his lecture in five centres around New Zealand. Find full details, download the flyer, or book tickets on our website.
Imagine watching videos on a paper-thin screen which can be rolled and put in your pocket, or projecting documents from a smart phone onto a flexible screen for easy reading. What if you could cover your lounge with a ‘wallpaper’ screen, powered by the light coming through the window? These revolutionary technologies may not be confined to our imaginations for much longer. Sir Richard Friend, the 2012 Royal Society of New Zealand Distinguished Speaker, has pioneered the study that allows organic polymers, normally fashioned into plastic, to take on the electronic properties utilised in digital displays and solar cells.
In his talk, Richard Friend tells the story of the unplanned discoveries and breakthroughs that have led to the development of this extraordinary technology. His talk will take us from the basic research on plastic semiconductors and the realm of quantum mechanics through to his experiences of the commercialisation of his team’s ideas as part of the high-technology cluster which has built up around Cambridge University in the UK.
Sir Richard Friend has pioneered the study of organic polymers and the electronic properties of molecular semiconductors. His work has led to the development of LEDs and photovoltaic cells and used to develop flat panel displays and screens. He is a founder of Cambridge Display Technology Ltd, the leading developer of commercial display technology based on polymer light emitting diodes. He is also co-founder of the spin-off company, Plastic Logic which is developing flexible electronic displays on plastic sheets. More recently, he co-founded a company to develop low cost flexible solar cells, Eight19.
Sir Richard Friend is the Cavendish Professor of Physics at Cambridge University, a position once occupied by Ernest Lord Rutherford. He was knighted for services to physics in 2003.
Tickets for the lectures in this series are available at: www.royalsociety.org.nz/events. We strongly recommend booking a (free) ticket to secure your seat.
For all enquiries, phone 04 470 5781 or email lect...@royalsociety.org.nz
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