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OMED Lab
Introduction
Research in the OMED lab includes supramolecular and macromolecular chemistry to generate novel organic materials that can find potential applications in the emerging fields of energy, catalysis, electronic devices etc. A flow chart (above) represents the broad research topics of the OMED lab. In a combination, we will utilize the potential of (i) synthetic organic chemistry to generate new materials, (ii) self-assembly principles to process these materials and (iii) electronic device fabrication techniques to achieve high-end device applications. Efforts will be devoted towards developing new building blocks (n-type or p-type) for the synthesis of novel small molecules and high performance conjugated polymers. Several strategies (will be described subsequently) will be adopted in order to tune the materials properties such as incorporation of chirality, donor-acceptor conjugation, side-chain variation etc. A major part of the active research will involve the synthesis of polymer networks either conjugated or non-conjugated for the applications in renewable energy such as gas storage, dye absorption, catalyst loading and water splitting.
Research Areas
(1) Synthesis of Conjugated Small Molecules for Supramolecular Chemistry and Optoelectronics
Supramolecular chemistry of chromophoric conjugated small molecules is interesting for the development of functional nanomaterials with tunable optoelectronic properties. Macroscopic expression of the microscopic self-assembly in terms of morphology, chirality, optical and electronic aspects can enable such advanced materials for high-end applications.
An example on this demonstrate aggregation-induced emission switching and white-light emission from a single component-
(2) Development of new building blocks for p- and n-type donor-acceptor conjugated polymer
Research in this direction aims to utilize either existing small molecular p-type or n-type building blocks or developing new building blocks to synthesize functional conjugated polymers for optoelectronic devices. Achieving low bandgap, high charge carrier mobility, visible and NIR absorption etc. to fabricate high-performance optoelectronic devices are the goal.
For example, the strategy may involve the conjugation of individually high performing components-
(3) Conjugated Polyelectrolytes for Organic Solar Cells
Synthesis of cationic polyelectrolytes from either main-chain non-conjugated backbone or fully conjugated side-chain architecture will be of interest. Presence of the cationic charges makes these polymers hydrophilic in nature because of which many new properties emerge. Applications of these materials for solar cells and inter-layers for optoelectronic devices are of high contemporary significance.
For example, cationic main-chain polyelectrolytes can be synthesized from tri-p-phenylenevinylene backbone-
(4) Conjugated Microporous Polymer Networks for Gas Storage Applications
This is a highly interesting and emerging research area where new conjugated polymer networks can be synthesized for their use in gas storage, dye-absorption, and related applications. The challenge in this area is to develop highly efficient polymerization protocols in order to produce a rigid polymer network. The inclusion of optoelectronic functions would invite many advanced applications.
For example, such materials can be synthesized efficiently by cyclotrimerization protocol-
(5) Polymer Networks for Catalysis Applications
In this research area, synthesis of new polymer networks with either conjugated or non-conjugated, rigid or flexible building blocks can be realized. Using the polymer network as the catalyst or a catalyst incorporated within the network can be employed for testing model organic reactions.
In a recent work, we have synthesized new phosphate based Organic Polymer Networks (ONPs) in one step and loaded gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). These AuNPs loaded OPNs showed catalytic reduction of electron rich nitrophenols as a model reaction.
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