Synthesis and materials properties of polyynes and polyenynes

我们的研究的许多方面都涉及到为新兴的光子学领域合成富碳材料，即利用光来获取，存储，传输和处理信息的技术。这是一个快速发展的领域，有潜力在这个世纪做电子在过去所做的事情。光子学革命是由光比电更快、更有效地携带信息的能力驱动的。光子学成功的核心是有机分子，它们可以用于设备中，通过改变光的频率、充当开关或以其他方式改变光的特性来操纵光。 该研究计划的主要目的是开发新的合成方法，以实现基于有机和有机金属化合物的更高效的材料。 这些化合物由于其操纵光的能力、低成本制备和易加工性而特别有吸引力。 我们的合成方法可以制备一系列具有非线性光学（NLO）、液晶和发光特性的材料。通过轻微的修改，这些方法将允许受控的逐步合成具有限定结构的共轭"分子线"和大环。 我们的努力也是针对合成分子碳同素异形体和富碳，纳米尺寸的结构。材料的性能往往与其在固态下的有序性密切相关。 为此，我们还探索了自组装过程，其中纳米级结构可以基于在原子水平上设计的可预测行为从小构建块构建。所有这些新材料都有望为有机合成和材料科学的基础发现提供新的途径。 最后，我们的合成方法的一个有趣的转折也使我们能够探索富含碳的多炔的形成，这些多炔天然存在于像菜园蔬菜一样常见的来源中（例如，胡萝卜）和细菌培养物一样模糊。天然存在的多炔具有广泛的生物学特性，其中一些我们目前正在探索。

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.