"Synthesis and Applications of Pyrroles, Dipyrrins and their Complexes"

血红素和叶绿素是含有吡咯的分子，在生命系统中起着关键作用-这些分子将阳光转化为动物和植物王国所使用的能量。在自然界的基础上，化学家们开发出了具有其他用途的含吡咯分子，例如生物学/医学中的标记物/示踪剂，以及在利用太阳能用于运输等应用中显示出潜力的分子。关于这些含吡咯分子的结构多样性和性质的详细信息意味着可以基于这种简单的分子框架开发新的和改进的应用。汤普森研究小组将设计，制备和使用新的含吡咯分子来探索功能材料等领域，如可重复使用的洗涤剂，可以“打开”和“关闭”，以及具有作为太阳能电池中的光收集器的潜力的系统。广泛的目标是：（i）提供将含吡咯的分子结合到作为去污剂和光收集器表现良好的材料中的新方法;（ii）使用含吡咯的分子作为传感器、生物学中的工具和用于光学目的的可调谐系统;和（iii）提供世界级的支持性研究环境，使年轻研究人员获得可转移到工业，许多合成化学家回避与吡咯一起工作，因为这些化合物的制备和操作通常具有挑战性：这就是这些高度反应性但可调节的分子的声誉。汤普森研究小组在这些类型的分子方面拥有高水平的专业知识和经验，他们的工作和其他化学家的工作表明，吡咯具有传统上未充分利用的丰富特性。这一领域正在迅速扩大，汤普森集团作为这一领域的领导者而备受尊敬。

Heme and chlorophyll are pyrrole-containing molecules that play key roles in living systems - these molecules convert sunlight to the energy used by the animal and plant kingdoms. Building on nature's lead, chemists have developed pyrrole-containing molecules that have other uses, for example markers/tracers in biology/medicine, and molecules that show potential in harnessing solar energy for use in applications such as transportation. Detailed information on the structural versatility and the properties of these pyrrole-containing molecules means that new and improved applications can be developed based on this simple molecular framework.The Thompson research group will design, prepare and use new pyrrole-containing molecules to explore areas such as functional materials like reusable detergents that can be turned "on" and "off", and systems that have potential as light harvesters in solar cells. Broad objectives are to: (i) provide new ways to incorporate pyrrole-containing molecules into materials that perform well as detergents and light harvesters; (ii) employ pyrrole-containing molecules as sensors, tools in biology, and tunable systems for optical purposes; and (iii) provide a world-class supportive research environment where young researchers gain skills that are transferable to industrial, professional and academic workplaces.Many synthetic chemists shy away from working with pyrroles as the preparation and manipulation of these compounds is often challenging: such is the reputation of these highly reactive, yet tunable, molecules. The Thompson research group has a high level of expertise and experience with these types of molecules, and their work and that of other chemists is showing that pyrroles have rich properties that have been traditionally underexploited. This field is expanding rapidly, and the Thompson group is well-respected as a leader in this area.