The project will explore a new source of sustainable optoelectronic materials for organic photovoltaics for renewable electricity generation. This project uses bio-derived materials, fungi-derived pigments. An example of such materials is xylindein, which is a blue-green pigment secreted by the non-pathogenic wood-staining fungi Chlorociboria aeruginosa and C. aeruginascens native to the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. This pigment has been used in art since the 15th century, owing to its vibrant color and stability, but its optoelectronic properties have not been explored. In this project, (opto)electronic properties of xylindein and its derivatives will be systematically investigated and incorporated into organic electronic devices such as solar cells. In addition to the field of organic electronics, the project will impact wood products and forestry industries, which stand to benefit from increased commercial potential from Chlorociboria-infested wood having market value. The project will provide a rich interdisciplinary experience involving physics, chemistry, and wood science to the participating graduate, undergraduate, and pre-college students. The outcome of this project is fundamental knowledge supporting organic photovoltaics using these materials and the ability to mass produce the pigments from fungi/biomass resources.
Fungi-derived pigments are abundant; they represent a largely unexplored resource for organic electronics. The goal of the project is to establish photophysical characteristics of xylindein, a planar conjugated fungi-derived pigment, and its derivatives. The project will aim to fulfill the following three objectives: to establish the mechanisms that govern photophysics of xylindein derivatives in solution, to establish effects of interplay between hydrogen bonding and pi-pi stacking on molecular packing and optoelectronic properties, and to explore performance of xylindein derivatives in (opto)electronic devices. Experiments aiming to optimize wood fungi extraction, batch culture growth, and purification will be combined with characterization of molecular photophysics and xylindein-based organic semiconductor devices. The project creates unique opportunities for: (a) the use of bio-derived (low-cost, low-toxicity, abundant) sustainable sources in (opto)electronics; and (b) the possibility to explore synergistic work of pi-stacking and hydrogen bonding for tunable optoelectronic properties via tunability of molecular photophysics and solid-state molecular packing. The results will be important not only for the field of organic electronics, but also for applications relying on hydrogen-bonded pigments that include color printer inks, textile dyes, and commercial paints.
