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Who we are
We are a young and dynamic research group based in Bern, Switzerland, and led by Prof. Natalie Banerji. In our group, chemists as well as physicists and material scientists work side by side to understand and optimize electronic devices based on organic electronic materials. In addition, we combine the best of two worlds by welcoming researchers from all over the world and by teaching local students from Bern.
This combination of different backgrounds and experiences forms a powerful symbiosis that enables us to understand the underlying principles of charge transport in the materials we study.
Our research interests
Our objective is to understand fundamental material properties (e.g., light–matter interactions, electron transfer processes, charge transport, molecular recognition) of organic and hybrid semiconductors, with applications in new generation solar cells, organic transistors, and organic bioelectronics. The current gap between missing fundamental understanding and the blind development of applications needs to be filled in order to achieve intelligent design of high-performance devices.
Our research revolves around the central question of what happens on the ultrashort time scale and ultrasmall length scale in organic solids to induce macroscopic function in devices, and how this can be optimized. Experimentally, we use a complementary palette of techniques combining (time-resolved) spectroscopy, pulsed photocurrent methods, terahertz experiments, Stark-effect spectroscopy, and device testing.
News
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New research published!
Tom van der Pol et al., report a new operation regime in BBL, a polymer deswelling driven by water expulsion owed to polymer-cation interactions upon n-type electrochemical doping. Congrats to the team, we are proud to have contributed with terahertz spectroscopy. Now in Nature Materials!
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New research published!
Why do some polymers tolerate high doping levels and keep increasing their conductivity, while others decay at similar doping levels? Our PhD student, Basil, explores this in his first paper as first author, now published in Advanced Materials.
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Kaishuai at e-MRS in Strasbourg
Our PhD student Kaishuai Zhang attended the e-MRS spring 2026 conference where he delivered a talk on the dynamics of electrochromic switching in covalent organic frameworks.
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Introducing Dr. Isabelle Heinzen
New PhD in the house! Last Wednesday, Isabelle successfully defended her PhD thesis on the spectroscopic investigation of doping in organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors. You did a fantastic job, and we are super proud of you! All the best for the future ahead of you, you will be missed here!
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New research published!
We are thrilled to announce our new publication by Priscila! She studied why P3HT outperforms more polar analogues in OECTs. Thanks to the groups of Sahika Inal and Christian Nielsen for the great collaboration on this project!
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Introducing Dr. Cedric Hoffmann
New PhD in the house! Last Friday, Cedric successfully defended his PhD thesis on excitation-energy and field-driven ultrafast charge processes in organic semiconductors! You did a great job, and we wish you all the best for the future!
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Dimitra at MATSUS Fall Meeting
Last week, Dimitra travelled to the MATSUS Fall Meeting in Valencia! There, she presented our research on mixed conductivity in electrochemically and chemically doped polymers and connected with the community! Thanks a lot Dimitra for the nice presentation!
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New research published!
We are happy to announce our new publication by Eva! She investigated the distance–resilient conductivity in p-doped polythiophenes and compared aliphatic and glycolated sidechains. Many thanks to the groups of Christian Müller and Martijn Kemerink for the collaboration on this project!
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New group member!
We are happy to announce that Gopika Suresh started her PhD with us in September! Gopika obtained her integrated BS–MS degree from IISER Thiruvananthapuram, India and she will join our photocatalysis subgroup, aiming to understand charge carrier dynamics that underpin photocatalytic activity. All the best for the start!
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New group member!
We have a new Bachelor student! Yunjeong joined our group in September after completing her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Sogang University, Korea. She will investigate the dynamics of electrochemical doping with us. We wish you a good start!