Spotlight 
Zachary Lovell
Laura Clouston
Our research is in the area of Organic Chemistry with emphasis on the design, synthesis and study of molecules with novel molecular structure and chemical properties. We are interested in fundamental aspects of electronic structure and its dependence on the size ranging from fraction of nanometer to several nanometers.
The objective is to prepare new class of organic materials with magnetic, conducting and optical properties.
High-Spin Molecules and Polymers
We are working on the synthesis and characterization of very high-spin organic molecules and polymers.
This work is important to the understanding of organic magnetism and to
the quest for organic magnets. Numerous very high-spin organic molecules and polymers with dendritic
and macrocyclic structures have been prepared by our research group.
Follow this link to see their structures.
In 2001, we reported preparation and magnetic properties of an organic π-conjugated polymer with very large magnetic moment (approximate
average S = 5000) and magnetic order at low temperature (about 10 K). This is the first report of a π-conjugated organic polymer magnet (Science, 2001, 294,1503. Introduction to special issue: The
Attraction of Magnetism).
Organic Polymer Magnet in the News
Article in EE Times (11/23/03)
Organic Spin Clusters on the Journal Cover
From Gomberg'sTriphenylmethyl to Polymer Magnet
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Currently, our focus is on the design and synthesis of stable high-spin polyradicals. Our aims are organic polymer magnets with improved ordering temperature and high-spin nitroxide radicals with adequate properties for biomedical imaging applications, in particular for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging (EPRI). We are working on syntheses of nitroxides and other stable polyradicals. Examples are aminyl radicals, conformationally constrained nitroxides, and nitroxides functionalized with water solubilizing groups. Follow this link to see their structures.
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Chiral Molecules and Polymers
Our efforts are aimed at the synthesis and study of chiral π-conjugated molecules and polymers, precursors to organic chiral
semiconductors/conductors and materials for chiral waveguides. The target molecules include molecules related to a hypothetical allotrope of carbon (3-dimensional graphite) and sulfocarbons (CnSm).
A number of chiral organic molecules with interesting molecular structure and properties are being prepared in our research group.
 carbon-sulfur [11]helicene |
 conjoined double helicene |
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