Stable High-Spin Polyradicals and Chiral pi-Conjugated Systems

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

With this Renewal Award, the Chemical Structure, Dynamics, and Mechanisms Program continues to support Professor Andrzej Rajca of University of Nebraska in a project involving the synthesis and characterization of stable polyradicals and chiral conjugated systems. The polyradicals to be studied will be high-spin stable organic molecules with strong through-bond ferromagnetic coupling and the potential to serve as building blocks for organic polymers with large magnetic moments and magnetic order. The chiral conjugated molecules to be synthesized will derive their asymmetry from helical structures and are designed to provide an understanding of the principles governing the rational design of novel chiral molecules. These investigations will contribute to an understanding of the structure and property relationships in organic molecules and macromolecules that are relevant to the development of novel magnetic and optical materials. This interdisciplinary research project, involving multi-step organic synthesis, diverse physical characterization of organic molecules, the physics of molecular magnetism, and computational chemistry, will provide students with broad training in a variety of modern research techniques.