Charge carrier transport at the nanoscale: Electron and hole transport in self-assembled discotic liquid crystals: Mobile ionic charges in nanocomposite solid electrolytes

This thesis explores some fundamental aspects of charge carrier transport at the nanoscale. The study is divided in two parts. In the first part, the structural, dynamical and vibrational properties of discotic liquid crystals are studied in relation to the potential of these self-assembled ‘mesophases’ to form molecular conducting wires. Although the study is fundamental in nature, a direct link will be made to the potential of discotic liquid crystals for opto-electronic applications such as solar cells. The second part presents a study on the interfacial defect chemistry in nano-structured solid acids. This part addresses the issue of interface-dominated charge transport in nano-sized materials. The heart of the work is a theoretical framework that explains the strong enhancement of proton conductivities observed when solid acids such as CsHSO4 or CsH2PO4 are blended with TiO2 or SiO2 nanoparticles. The results are of fundamental interest for the development of solid state ionic conductors that can be used as electrolytes in batteries and fuel cells.Radiation, Radionuclides & ReactorsApplied Science