At 14:00 on July 13, 2023, Zhao Dahui, a professor of the School of Chemistry, Peking University, was invited by Professor Huang Hui to come to the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences to give a lecture on "Molecular Structure Regulation in the Aggregation of Conjugated Molecules". The lecture was held at Room 125 on the second teaching floor.

Professor Zhao mainly explained the recent work of the research group. They found that the supramolecular aggregation structure of the organic co-major system has a significant impact on the optoelectronic properties of the material. The dominant force that determines the arrangement and aggregation of conjugated molecules is the van der Waals interaction characterized by pi-pi stacking. Compared with non-covalent interactions in the form of ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds, the directionality and strength of pi-pi stacking are weaker, resulting in complex and diverse molecular arrangements and changes in conjugated molecules, with low predictability. Therefore, the study of the aggregation structure of related systems and the regulation and prediction of the properties of materials have become a huge challenge.

The lecture mainly introduces some research progress made in the aspects of analyzing and revealing the complex aggregation behavior mechanism through rational design, systematically changing the molecular structure, and then tracking and regulating the change of photophysical properties of a series of fused-ring aromatic imines.

During the lecture, teachers and classmates actively interacted with Professor Zhao, and finally Professor Zhao's wonderful report received warm applause from the audience.

Zhao Dahui, Ph.D., professor, received a bachelor's degree from the School of Chemistry, Peking University in 1997, and a doctorate from the Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, USA in 2003, and then conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 2006, she has been employed by the School of Chemistry, Peking University as the academic team leader and doctoral supervisor. The main research directions are the design and synthesis of new organic polymer optoelectronic functional materials, the controllable construction of supramolecular structures and property regulation. She has received honors such as the National Outstanding Youth Fund, the Excellent Youth Science Fund of the Fund Committee, the New Century Outstanding Talents of the Ministry of Education, the Fok Yingdong Foundation Young Teacher Fund, the Beijing Science and Technology Rising Star Program, and the Teaching Excellence Award of Peking University. She is currently the deputy editor-in-chief of Chemistry of Materials and Synfacts.