Fundamental Crystal Engineering and the Design of Extended Host-guest Networks and Molecular-based Magnetic Materials

Kansas State University, Manhattan KS

Investigators

Abstract

This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic program supports research on the development of new crystal engineering protocols and their application to the assembly of synthetic zeolite analogs and molecular-based magnetic materials by Professor Christer Aakeroy of the Department of Chemistry at the Kansas State University. This will be accomplished by constructing extended hybrid inorganic/organic architectures using hydrogen-bond interactions and custom-designed ligands, notably substituted pyridines, triazines and pyrimidines. The latter will be used in conjunction with divalent Cu, Co, Mn and Ni ions to produce the molecular magnets. The compounds will be characterized by means of IR, NMR, DSC and X-ray diffraction. The utility of the catalytic support compounds will be examined using the hydrogenation of small alkenes as a model reaction, and the magnetic properties of the metal pyrimidines by means of a SQUID magnetometer. The goal of this research is to develop a fundamental understanding of the principles of crystal engineering based on molecular self-assembly and to use these principles to synthesize materials with useful physical properties. In particular, catalytic supports and molecular magnets will be produced which have important applications in the petrochemical and information technology industries. The students involved in this project will learn a breadth of skills in both synthesis and instrumental methods, and gain experience which links fundamental chemistry with commercial use.