CNRS Chemistry welcomes Thuc-Quyen Nguyen as an Ambassador in Chemical Sciences

What drove you to the field of organic semiconducting materials for electronics?

My deep-seated interest in energy and lighting solutions traces back to my childhood in Vietnam. Born during the final years of the Vietnam War, I grew up in small villages without electricity for 16 years. My family lost everything when our home was burned down during the war, and we faced significant hardships, lacking necessities like food, clean water, and proper clothing. I remember wishing I could capture sunlight in a jar so I could study at night. When I immigrated to the U.S. at 21, I barely spoke English and had no financial resources. Poverty led to creativity, and curiosity and creativity guided me toward a scientific career.

A turning point in my research was the opportunity to work with collaborators at IBM’s R&D division. I then realized the potential for research to lead to real-world technology. When I started my own research group at the University of California, Santa Barbara, I decided to pursue my childhood dreams by working on energy generation - organic photovoltaics (OPVs), lighting - organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and later expanded to other organic electronic devices.

My research group has focused on the physical characterization of multicomponent optoelectronic composites and the development of structure-function relationships to optimize material performance. Our goal is to understand how molecular structure and processing conditions influence device performance in applications such as OPVs, organic photodetectors, transistors, OLEDs, and biosensors. By leveraging a wide range of characterization techniques, we seek to improve efficiency, stability, and sustainability while addressing fundamental scientific questions.

What future outcomes do you expect in the next 5 to 10 years for organic electronic devices?

Organic semiconductors are carbon-based materials with alternating single and double bonds (conjugated π-bonds), allowing them to absorb light across the ultraviolet to near-infrared spectrum. These materials are particularly exciting due to their lightweight, mechanical flexibility, low cost, and ease of processing via methods like roll-to-roll coating, spray coating, or ink-jet printing. This field—sometimes referred to as the "Organic Electronics Revolution"—aims to create complex electronic functions using simple printing techniques.

Over the next decade, I expect to see a significant expansion of wearable electronic devices for continuous health monitoring, offering real-time, non-invasive diagnostics. OPVs will become more integrated into urban environments, appearing on skyscrapers, residential buildings, and greenhouses, where they can generate sustainable energy while maintaining aesthetic appeal. Additionally, the development of ultrasensitive biosensors will revolutionize medical diagnostics, enabling earlier detection of diseases with greater accuracy. These breakthroughs will be made possible by ongoing progress in material design, processing, device engineering, and scalable fabrication techniques.

As a CNRS Ambassador in Chemical Sciences, what are you most looking forward to during your French conference tour?

I have always enjoyed visiting many wonderful colleagues in France. I am especially excited to meet young researchers—students and postdocs—as well as connect with new colleagues. Learning about various research initiatives and state-of-the-art facilities will be an invaluable experience, and I hope to establish new collaborations. Science is much more rewarding when we share knowledge and work together. I am particularly excited to visit the University of Lille as it has one of the best NMR facilities in the world. My research has benefitted tremendously from this facility through my collaboration with Professor Manju Reddy.

Beyond my academic collaborations, I am also eager to introduce the VinFuture Foundation to my French colleagues. In 2020, I helped establish this foundation in Vietnam to recognize groundbreaking scientific achievements that have a meaningful impact on millions of lives. The VinFuture Prizes include a Grand Prize of 3 million dollars, along with three Special Prizes of 500,000 dollars each, awarded for outstanding contributions in emerging fields, female-led innovations, and research from developing countries. I hope to encourage CNRS researchers to submit nominations, further strengthening the global scientific community.

Editor: AVR