2016 Crystal Engineering GRC/GRS:Advancing the Design of Crystals

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

NON TECHNICAL Crystal Engineering is a contemporary area of chemical research and is central to many fundamental problems that are currently facing society. Developments in this rapidly developing field may meet societal demands that cannot be addressed by more conventional approaches in synthetic chemistry and materials science such as the rational design and construction of materials for use in storing hydrogen for vehicles and efforts to control drug polymorphism. This Gordon Research Conference (GRC) will seek to aggressively recruit graduate students, postdocs, and junior level professionals to attend the GRC and enable them to not only learn from the talks and discussions, but allow them to make important contacts for their future development. This unique conference format will foster the formation of new collaborations and ideas that would not otherwise occur if not for these important conferences. NSF funding is crucial to the success of this endeavor. The GRC Chair and Vice-Chair will actively recruit underrepresented groups with the goal of increasing diversity in the Crystal Engineering community, making it more reflective of the general population. TECHNICAL With partial support from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program, the 2016 Crystal Engineering Gordon Research Conference (GRC) follows on the three highly successful previous GRCs on Crystal Engineering (2010, 2012 & 2014) with numerous student and international participants. Crystal engineering is the design and synthesis of functional solid-state structures (e.g., new organic molecular crystals and metal-organic co-ordination polymers and other organic and inorganic framework solids (MOFs), based on a bottom-up approach from smaller building blocks such as neutral organic molecules, and organic or inorganic ions. Typical design strategies use hydrogen bonds and coordination bonds, which define sub-structural units that are called respectively, supramolecular synthons and secondary building units. This subject cuts across the traditional divisions of organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry, making for a very eclectic blend of ideas, techniques, and strategies. The field has developed to a stage that cross-fertilization between topics is expected to promote significant advancements in a general quest to afford functional materials. The topics cover both fundamentals and applications of Crystal Engineering that have relevance to important areas such as organic synthesis, pharmaceutics, and energy storage.