2nd International Symposium on Self-Organizing Molecular Semiconductors

Since the discovery of electronic conduction in liquid crystals in 1990s, which lead to the new recognition that the liquid crystals were a new class of quality organic semiconductors, i.e., a Self-Organizing Molecular Semiconductors (SOMS), their basic researches have been carried out to establish molecular design for high mobility materials, to understand their unique electrical properties, and to find their best use in device applications.

In spite of high potential of liquid crystals as an organic semiconductor (SOMS), there had been no appropriate place to meet the people who are interested in SOMS, share the latest results, and discuss the common interests on it, whose one of the reasons is due to the interdisciplinary research field between the liquid crystal and the organic semiconductor.

In 2012 of the 20 years anniversary of the first　establishment of electronic conduction in liquid crystals, the first international symposium on SOMS was held in Tokyo with the support of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), and 18 oral papers and 30 posters were presented and 111 attendees enjoyed the symposium.

The 2nd international symposium is arranged to hold in February 27 and 28 in Tokyo under the background of increasing attention to the SOMS especially for organic field effect transistors and solar cells. In this symposium, the leading researchers on SOMS will give a talk on the latest results on synthesis, theoretical approach for understanding of charge transport, characterization of electrical properties, materials processing, and device applications of liquid crystals.

I hope this symposium provides a good opportunity to present a new result on SOMS and to discuss the common interests on it, leading to further development of science and device applications of SOMS.

• 2nd International Symposium on Self-Organizing Molecular Semiconductors