Theo Murphy International Scientific Meeting between the UK and China on the chemistry and physics of functional materials.

Single crystals of elemental or simple binary or ternary materials, such as Si, GaN or Nb3Sn, have been the basis of many past and current electronic, optoelectronic and energy technologies. However, there has been a recognition that in order to meet demanding future performance requirements and to enable realization of multiple functionalities in new application environments we need to explore more complex functional materials that can be synthesized by the rich methods of organic or inorganic chemistry and designed to exhibit defined functional properties. Examples include mesoporous metal–organic frameworks with well-defined channels for ion transport and storage [1], complex transition metal oxides with highly correlated d-electrons [2] and emerging applications from batteries to superconductors and conjugated molecular/polymer semiconductors [3] and carbon allotropes [4], which allow realization of a broad range of electronic or optoelectronic functions through molecular design at low process temperatures. These functional materials have a broad range of potential applications in electronics, optoelectronics, energy storage, energy conversion and more generally in the context of materials for sustainable development [5]. Examples include organic semiconductor-based displays, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and