The invention of organic light emitting diodes (LEDs) led to enormous excitement in both academe and industry in the late 1980's. Flexibility

large area solution processability

roll-to-roll printing

low cost

and environmentally friendly are some of the advantages of organic semiconductor materials

which brought a new horizon for optoelectronics. Together with the achievement of organic sol

ar cells

transistors

lasers

and amplifiers

this has demonstrated potential applications of organic semiconductors in displays

lighting

solar energy generation

electronics

sensing and imaging

and many aspects of photonics. In an enlightened conversation with Light: Science

&

Applications

Prof. Donal Bradley (FRS)

a pioneer in the field

shared his deep insights on past

current

and future exciting developments of organic optoelectronic materials and devices. In particular

he expressed his opinion on the hot topics related to organic optoelectronics research and application

such as the relationship between organic and inorganic semiconductors and the challenge of electrically pumped organic lasers. As a successful scientist

Donal has also been co-founder of several organic optoelectronics innovation companies and research centers and a long-term academic administrator serving as a Head of Department

Centre Director

and Vice-Rector for Research at Imperial College

Head of the Mathematical

Physical

and Life Sciences Division at the University of Oxford

Vice-President for Research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and now Vice-President for Research and Innovation at NEOM U and Executive Director of the NEOM Education

Research and Innovation Foundation. Through this interview

we also explore the major roles and events in Donal's career experience from the invention of the first conjugated polymer LED in the world to the set-up of entrepreneurial companies

from Cambridge to Sheffield

Imperial College

and Oxford

from the UK to overseas

and from the establishment of the Centre for Plastic Electronics in Imperial College to the set-up of the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR). Before the end of the conversation

he also shares his interesting story of identifying a new species of Sea Bream

Acanthopagrus oconnorae

(Bev Bradley's Bream)

named after his mother and wife

while fishing in the Red Sea.