Synthesis and self-assembly of bipyrimidine decorated porphyrins

build molecular structures that exhibit specific properties such as rigidity, electric conductivity, or porosity. Building these structures without bricks and mortar is no easy task. Instead, we use synthetic chemistry to create new building blocks and take advantage of favorable interactions between these molecules to produce new assemblies. Porphyrins are naturally occurring molecules necessary for oxygenation of human blood and plant photosynthesis. By modifying the porphyrin scaffold we hope to be able to link many of these units together in one, two, and three dimensions. The resulting arrays termed nanomaterials are expected to show enhanced photo-physical and electrical activity. In this international collaboration I will synthesize these new complex compounds and study their assembly upon interaction with metal ions.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mark MacLachlan

Student:

Guillaume Beaulieu-Houle

Partner:

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Globalink