LEAPS-MPS: It Takes a Village: Synergistic Assembly of Naphthodithiophene-Based Organic Macrocycles and Metallomacrocycles

在这个由美国国家科学基金会化学部门管理的项目中，Zacharias Kinney教授和他在奥克兰大学的学生将进行研究，旨在开发新的有机大环和金属大环，以作为具有独特光电性能的光活性材料。随着社会不断寻求高效和可持续的能源解决方案，人们越来越感兴趣的领域主要是低成本的有机材料，这些材料具有独特的光物理性质。Kinney实验室的工作重点是合成能够发光的分子，这些分子可以作为光电材料（如太阳能电池和有机发光二极管）的核心光活性成分。为了完成这项任务，Kinney实验室采用了多种类型的相互作用-即共价，非共价和金属配体键-来组装包含多个噻吩基单体的大环结构。最终，他们的研究旨在提高我们对含有大环组分的光活性材料的结构-性质关系的理解，同时阐明它们作为可持续材料的潜在应用。该计划的核心是通过为奥克兰社区学院（OCC）的学生提供公平的机会，在攻读副学士学位的同时获得真实的研究经验，从而扩大STEM的参与。Kinney教授和他的研究小组将研究和阐明用于光电器件的异构体萘二噻吩的结构-性质关系。利用角化萘二噻吩构建块，可以在简单的条件下合成可预测的离散的、形状持久的大环和金属大环。这些大环产物提供扩展的偶联，允许独特的光物理性质。研究人员的任务是在溶液和固体状态下合成和表征这些分子。这些分子的大环性质产生了一个内衬杂原子的内部腔，通过主客体相互作用为分子的光物理性质的合成后调制提供了额外的机会。这项工作的一部分将由OCC学生通过暑期带薪研究实习来完成；其中学生能够在合成化学实验室参与真实的研究体验。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In this project managed by the Chemistry Division at NSF, Professor Zacharias Kinney and his students at Oakland University will perform studies that aim to develop new organic macrocycles and metallomacrocycles to serve as photoactive materials with unique optoelectronic properties. As society continues to search for efficient and sustainable energy solutions a growing area of interest are primarily low-cost organic materials that display unique photophysical properties. The Kinney lab’s efforts are focused on synthesizing molecules that are emissive and can serve as the core photoactive component in optoelectronic materials such as solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes. To accomplish this task the Kinney lab employs multiple types of interactions – namely covalent, non-covalent, and metal-ligand bonding – to assemble macrocyclic structures containing multiple thiophene-based monomers. Ultimately, their studies aim to improve our understanding of structure-property relationships in photoactive materials containing macrocyclic components while elucidating their potential applications as sustainable materials. Central to this program will be broadening participation in STEM by providing an equitable opportunity for Oakland Community College (OCC) students to gain an authentic research experience while pursuing their associates degree.Professor Kinney and his research team will investigate and elucidate the structure-property relationships of isomeric naphthodithiophenes for use in optoelectronic devices. By employing angular naphthodithiophene building blocks predictable discrete, shape-persistent macrocycles and metallomacrocycles can be synthesized under facile conditions. These macrocyclic products afford extended pi-conjugation, allowing for unique photophysical properties. Researchers will be tasked with synthesizing and characterizing these molecules in both the solution- and solid-state. The macrocyclic nature of these molecules yields an interior cavity lined with heteroatoms, providing additional opportunities for post-synthetic modulation of the molecules photophysical properties through host-guest interactions. A section of this work will be completed by OCC students through the advent of a paid research internship during the summer; wherein students are able to participate in an authentic research experience in a synthetic chemistry laboratory.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.