Rate My Professor Paul Shaw

Associate Professor Paul Shaw holds the position of Associate Professor in the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences at the University of Queensland. He earned an MPhys in Physics with Astrophysics from the University of Manchester, an MSc in Display Science, Technology and Applications from the University of Dundee, and a PhD in Physics from the University of St Andrews in 2009, focusing on the spectroscopy of organic semiconductors. After completing his doctorate, Shaw joined the University of Queensland as a postdoctoral fellow developing fluorescent dendrimers for explosive detection. He now serves as Director of the Centre for Organic Photonics and Electronics, Lead of the Advanced Functional Materials research theme within the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and Leader of the University of Queensland node of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics. His career includes securing prestigious funding such as the ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award in 2012 for probing excited states of organic semiconductor systems, the Advance Queensland Research Fellowship in 2016 for luminescence-based explosive sensors, and multiple ARC Discovery Projects on vapour phase detection of chemical warfare agents and validation of organic semiconductor properties.

Shaw's research specializes in organic optoelectronics, with key areas including fluorescence-based chemical sensors for rapid detection of explosives, chemical warfare agents, illicit drugs, and nerve agents; organic and hybrid solar cells such as perovskites and non-fullerene acceptors; and emissive processes in organic semiconductors for applications in OLEDs and lasers. His investigations cover material design, synthesis, photophysics, charge transport, morphology, and device fabrication. Notable publications encompass 'Exciton diffusion measurements in poly(3-hexylthiophene)' (Advanced Materials, 2008), 'Charge generation pathways in organic solar cells: assessing the contribution from the electron acceptor' (Chemical Reviews, 2016), 'Challenges in fluorescence detection of chemical warfare agent vapors using solid-state films' (Advanced Materials, 2020), and 'Engineering fluorinated-cation containing inverted perovskite solar cells with an efficiency of >21% and improved stability towards humidity' (Nature Communications, 2021). Shaw supervises over 20 PhD students on topics like high-performance perovskite solar cells and organic semiconductors. He has received the SCMB Award for Excellence in Research and Innovation and contributes significantly to renewable energy and security technologies through extensive collaborations and funded projects.