Research interests   




The areas currently being studied involve the synthesis, characterisation and measurement of physical properties of the following materials:

1.    Organic materials having photoconductivity in the near infrared. These are all based on phthalocyanine structures and include phthalocyanines, naphthalocyanines, bis-phthalocyanines and superphthalocyanines.

Phthalocyanine molecule:



Thin film (Langmuir-Blodgett) studies of phthalocyanine based compounds are currently being carried out. Materials have been prepared which are photoactive in the near-infrared (> 2 microns). These materials may have applications in infrared detectors and optical transistors.

2.    Electroactive polymers based on poly (phenylene vinylene) (PPV) have been made and used as light emitting diode (LED), photovoltaic and electrochromic devices. PPV polymers have formed the basis of most of this work. Low band gap, intrinsically conductive polymers are also being synthesised.

3.    Water soluble photo-resists for the printing and microelectronics industry.

4.    ESR studies of radical processes in polymers. Spin-trapping experiments on polyethylene polymers and co-polymers to establish the active sites for cross-linking reactions.


Chemistry Joke

Two atoms were walking down the road, the first atom turns to his friend and says, "I've lost an electron". "Are you sure", replies the friend. "Yes, I'm positive!", says the first atom.



Some Publications:

1.   K Davidson, A Iraqi and J-P N Schmit, 'New synthetic routes to polyacenes', Synthetic Metals, 101, 100, (1999).

2.   K Davidson, R Jones, A Krier, J Zawadzka and J-P Schmit, 'Conductivity mechanisms in poly(p-phenylene vinylene) light-emitting diodes at high and low bias', Thin Solid Films, 340, 221 (1999).

3.   K Davidson, A Ponsonby, 'Synthesis of cross-linked electrically conductive polymers', Synthetic Metals, 102, 1512, (1999).

4.   K Davidson, R Jones and S McDonald, ' Controlled orientation of Langmuir-Blodgett films of substituted phthalocyanines', Synthetic Metals, 121, 1399, (2001).

5.   K Davidson, S El-Attawy, M El-Gamal, M A Khattab and A-G M El-Demerdash, 'Synthesis of New Polymers for Photoresist and Lithographic Printing Applications', High Performance Polymers, 13(2), 117, (2002).