Functional π-conjugated structures

To address humanity’s ever-increasing technological and energy demands while mitigating climate change, it is essential to advance clean energy production and energy-storage technologies (e.g., solar cells, batteries, and clean energy-derived fuels). These innovations must be supplemented by inexpensive and energy-efficient electronics that reduce power consumption. New advances should avoid both detrimental material costs (e.g., rare precious metals) and high upfront energetic costs.

Extended, π-conjugated carbon-based structures will have key roles in these new, sustainable technologies. Such structures are highly successful in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and energy storage (e.g., in batteries). Moreover, they are emerging in diverse catalytic roles. In order to achieve the full potential of these materials it is imperative that their chemistry and properties are fully explored.

In our laboratory, we synthesize new π-conjugated structures wherein the π-core is altered from the conventional 2D hexagonal array of carbon atoms. Thus, we synthesize and study unprecedented π-frameworks bearing precise heteroatom substitutions and/or ring-size variations. With these manipulations, optical and electronic properties are altered to obtain high-performance materials for use as catalysts or in organic electronic devices.