Synthesis and materials properties of polyynes and polyenynes

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Many aspects of our research address the synthesis of carbon-rich materials for the emerging field of photonics, the technology of using light to acquire, store, transmit, and process information. This is a rapidly developing area that has the potential to do for this century what electronics has done in the past. The photonics revolution is driven by the ability of light to carry information faster and more efficiently than electricity. Central to the success of photonics are the organic molecules that can be used in devices to manipulate light by altering its frequency, acting as a switch, or otherwise changing its characteristics.   A primary aim of this research program is the development of new synthetic methods for the realization of more efficient materials based on organic and organometallic compounds.  These compounds are particularly attractive due to their ability to manipulate light, low cost preparation, and facile processability.  Our synthetic methods allow for the preparation of a range of materials designed to feature nonlinear optical (NLO), liquid crystalline, and luminescent properties. With slight modifications, these methods will allow a controlled, step-wise synthesis of conjugated "molecular wires" and macrocycles with defined structure.  Our efforts are also directed toward the synthesis of molecular carbon allotropes and carbon-rich, nanometer-sized structures. It is often true that the performance of a material is intimately linked to its order in the solid-state.  To this end, we also explore self-assembly processes, where nanoscale structures can be constructed from small building blocks based on predictable behavior engineered at the atomic level. All of these new materials promise to provide new avenues of fundamental discovery at the interface of organic synthesis and materials science.   Finally, an interesting twist to our synthetic methods has also allowed for us to explore the formation of carbon-rich polyynes that are found naturally in sources as common as garden vegetables (e.g., carrots) and as obscure as bacterial cultures. Naturally occurring polyynes feature a wide range of biological properties, some of which we are currently exploring.