At the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEET), we welcomed a distinguished guest, Professor Win-Long Chia from the prestigious Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan. During his visit to the Institute of Environmental Technology (IET), he delivered a specialist lecture entitled “A Lifetime on Synthesis of Liquid Crystals in Taiwan,” in which he summarised his extensive scientific experience in polymer chemistry and the development of liquid crystals.
At the beginning of his talk, Professor Chia outlined the history of his home university as well as his own professional career. He then guided the audience through the evolution of knowledge in the field of liquid crystals, from their discovery to current modern approaches to their synthesis. He focused in detail on the synthesis of fundamental types of liquid crystals and presented his own research focused on nitrogen-doped liquid crystals.
A particularly engaging part of the lecture was the presentation of a patented single-step synthesis method for liquid crystals used in OLED technologies, employing iridium-doped ligands. In this context, Professor Chia explained the principles of OLED technology, its main advantages, and its differences compared to traditional LCD displays. He also mentioned current industrial applications and companies active in the production and use of OLED panels.
In his lecture, he also highlighted the emerging second generation of OLED technologies, which is expected to bring more efficient and economically accessible manufacturing processes. According to him, this represents a promising direction that will play an important role in display technologies in the coming years.
The visit was not limited solely to scientific topics. At the audience’s request, Professor Chia also addressed the geopolitical context and historical development of relations between Taiwan and China during the discussion. He also touched on broader regional connections, including links involving Tibet, Mongolia, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.
Professor Chia’s visit offered participants a valuable and inspiring insight into current trends and the future direction of research in the field of advanced materials synthesis.