School of Chemical Sciences Seminar

School of Chemical Sciences Seminar Well-defined, Soluble Synthetic Graphenes and Graphene-Metal Complexes Dr Nigel LUCAS

Department of Chemistry, University of Otago

Monday 16th July at 4 PM in Room 301-248 The lecture will be followed by a sherry hour in the SCS tea room on 5th floor at 5 PM Abstract

‘ Graphene’ describes a single-atom thick, 2D honeycomb network of carbon atoms that constitute the layers of the carbon allotrope graphite. Interest in the study of graphene materials has grown significantly in recent years as graphene sheets offer extraordinary electronic, thermal and mechanical properties that may be exploited for a variety of applications. Improved total synthesis approaches provide access to graphene-like large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are monodisperse, soluble, and well-defined with regard to size and shape.

The strong face-to-face stacking interaction between graphenes is one attribute that has prompted us to investigate such molecules (and their functionalised derivatives) as ligands for metal complexation. The graphene moiety typically drives the arrangement of the ligand and its metal complexes in the bulk and on surfaces, often resulting in long range order. The synthetic and supramolecular chemistry of graphenes, graphene-based ligands and complexes, along with their solution, solid-state and surface organisational properties, will be discussed.

Career

Nigel obtained his BSc(Hons) and PhD (2002) from the Australian National University in organometallic chemistry working with Prof. Mark Humphrey. Following postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Germany as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, he returned to Australia in 2005 to take up an ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship at The University of Sydney. In 2008 he moved to the Department of Chemistry, University of Otago where he is currently a Senior Lecturer. Nigel's research interests span the synthesis and properties of carbon-rich molecular materials, supramolecular chemistry and self-assembly, organometallic chemistry and catalysis, and crystallography.