Video recorded 2004-2005.  Interviewed by chemists Harry Kroto and Jim Feast, in this interview Richard Friend discusses his research work on conjugated polymers, time-resolved optical spectroscopy and molecular conductors and magnets.

Professor Sir Richard Friend is Cavendish Professor of Physics and part of the Optoelectronics Group at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge.His research interests cover:

1) Conjugated Polymers, in particular the development of new semiconducting polymers (with Dr. A. B. Holmes, Department of Cambridge and Melbourne Universities). Characterisation of properties in semiconductor device structures, including: - Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes, Thin-Film Field-Effect Transistors and Photovoltaic and Photoconductive Diodes;

2) Time-resolved optical spectroscopy: Sub-picosecond time-resolved spectroscopy, with 100fsec `white-light` laser system, used to study formation and evolution of excitonic and polaronic electronic photoexcitations 

3) Molecular conductors and magnets, the investigation of charge-transfer complexes containing pi-conjugated molecules showing metallic, antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic behaviour.