Prof. Vinich Promarak
Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Thailand
Title: Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) Dyes: Potential Solid-State Luminophores for Advanced Emitting Devices
Abstract:
Fluorescent
organic molecules with excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT)
features have received considerable attention in recent years because of their
unique photophysical properties related to large Stokes-shifted fluorescence
emission or non-self-absorbing fluorescent emission. ESIPT fluorophores as
light-emitting materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and as
luminophores for luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) would make a perfect
counterpart since the difference between positions of absorption and emission
peaks, unlike most organic fluorophores, can help to avoid unwanted
self-reabsorption of the emitted light, leading to improved electroluminescence
and efficiency. This talk will present an advance in the development of new
ESIPT fluorophores. For example, a series of ESIPT–aggregate-induced emission
(AIE) solid-state fluorophores as self-absorption-free emitters will be
presented. These ESIPT–AIE fluorophores exhibit high thermal and
electrochemical stability with decent hole mobilities and are successfully
utilized as emitters in OLEDs, which achieved moderate-to-good EL performances.
Other types of ESIPT fluorophores, including ESIPT–hybridized local and
charge-transfer (HLCT) and ESIPT–triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) materials,
as single-molecule white light-emitting materials, will also be mentioned. For
LSC applications, a series of modified phenanthroimidazole-phenol and (benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)phenol
ESIPT dyes will be reported, and their structural-property relationship will be
discussed.
Biography:
Vinich Promarak is currently a Professor of
Chemistry at Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC),
Thailand. He earned a B.Sc. in Chemistry with 1st class honors from
Khon Kaen University, Thailand, in 1996 under the support of the Development
and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST). Under the
support from the Royal Thai Government, he received an M.Sc. in Polymer Science
and Engineering with distinction from the University of Sheffield, England, in
1998 and a D.Phil. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Oxford, England,
in 2002. In 2006, he also performed research at the Tokyo Institute of
Technology, Japan. Vinich began his academic career at Ubon Ratchathani
University in 2002 and then joined Suranaree University of Technology in 2012
as Associated Professor. He was promoted to Full Professor in 2013. In 2015, he
was appointed as the first Dean of the MSE School, VISTEC. Throughout his
academic journey, he was presented with many major honours and awards,
including Hamakawa Award (2025) at the PVSEC-36, the Distinguished Honorary
Alumnus Award 60 Years Khon Kaen University (2024), Distinguished Professor
Research Grant (2022), Thailand’s Outstanding Scientist Award (2021), CST
High Impact Chemist Award (2017), TRF Senior Research Scholar (2017), Outstanding
National Researcher Award (Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science) (2016), TRF
Outstanding Research Award (2015, 2014), NRCT Outstanding Research Award (2013),
TRF-CHE-Scopus Researcher Award (Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences) (2013), Asian
Core Program Lectureship Award (2012, 2009), Wiley–Chemical Society of Thailand
(CST) Outstanding Publication Award (2011), Thailand’s Young Scientist Award
(2007), and Thailand Toray Science Foundation Research Grant (2003). As of August
1st, 2025, he has given >50 invited talks and seminars. He has
chaired several national and international conferences and has served on many
scientific committees, review panels, and editorial boards. He has worked with 15
postdoctoral associates, 25 doctoral students, and 4 master students, and has
collaborated with scientists from around the world.
Vinich’s research interests
include the development of new high-tech organic and organic-inorganic
materials for applications in optoelectronic devices, i.e., organic
light-emitting diode (OLED), dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), organic solar
cell (OSC), perovskite solar cell (PSC), organic field-effect transistor
(OFET), and transparent luminescent solar concentrator (TLSC), heterogeneous
catalysts for green chemistry and biodiesel production, and new molecular
sensors and smart sensing devices. So far, he has contributed nearly 300 peer-reviewed
research papers (h-index = 49; i10-index = 9497; 9497 citations as of August
1st, 2025). His research has been exclusively funded by the
National Funding Agencies (TRF, NRCT, PMU-B, OHEC, NANOTEC, etc.) and public
agencies (PTT, IRPC). He is currently focusing on developing the prototypes of
a commercial-sized PSC and TLSC.