Molecular Materials

与由强键原子组成的硬材料不同，由分子结合而成的软材料通常是透明的、柔韧的、轻的，并且可以通过简单的熔化、溶解和蒸发技术进行加工。因此，分子材料在技术中起着至关重要的作用，并开始在电子等关键领域取代传统的硬材料。然而，为这种用途设计复杂的软材料需要更深入地了解控制分子如何在材料中联系和集体行为的规则。探索这些领域是现代科学的首要任务，重大见解将带来技术突破。先前由加拿大分子材料研究主席提供的支持，使我们的小组掌握了研究分子组织各个方面所需的多学科技能，并通过设计生产有用的新型软材料。我们现在处于一个独特的位置，引领国际努力创造新一代先进的分子材料。

Unlike hard materials composed of strongly bonded atoms, soft materials built by molecular association are typically transparent, flexible, light, and processable by simple techniques of melting, dissolution, and evaporation. As a result, molecular materials play crucial roles in technology and are beginning to replacing classical hard materials in key areas, such as electronics. However, devising sophisticated soft materials for such uses requires deeper understanding of rules governing how molecules associate and behave collectively in materials. Exploring these areas is a top priority of modern science, and major insights will yield breakthroughs in technology. Previous support provided by the Canada Research Chair in Molecular Materials has let our group master multidisciplinary skills needed to study all aspects of molecular organization and to produce useful new soft materials by design. We are now in a unique position to lead international efforts to create a new generation of advanced molecular materials.