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Project

Supramolecular Chemistry and Materials (W000620N)

This scientific community aims at coordinating the research that is done in the domain of supramolecular chemistry and materials at a number of Flemish universities, complemented with a number of international expert groups. As a result, the collaboration and synergy between the partners will be strengthened, further advancing the strength of Flanders in this research area. The specific scientific research topics of the cooperation are divided in several work packages. The work packages for KU Leuven are:

WP1 - Porphyrins and porphyrin analogs as building blocks in supramolecular chemistry and materials : Functionalized porphyrins and corroles with reactive groups such as azides can be transformed into multichromophoric systems, and the photophysical properties of these materials and their molecular recognition toward small molecules will be studied. An alternative method that will be explored is to first prepare the triazole building blocks via the new methodologies developed in Leuven, and then constructing the porphyrins. There is also a link to the use of the porphyrinoid chromophores as active light absorbing materials in bulk heterojunction organic solar cells and/or (near-infrared) photodetectors (see WP2), for which in particular push-pull functionalized meso-ethynylporphyrins and -corroles are developed. Water soluble variants of the porphyrins will be developed and studied for photodynamic therapy and as photosensitizers for the generation of singlet oxygen.

WP5 - Multifunctional macrorings: cyclodextrins and calixarenes : Functionalized macrorings such as cyclodextrins and calixarenes (in particular pillararenes, collaboration with T. Ogoshi) will be attached to polymers (e.g. polyamines), and afterwards these new materials will be developed as absorbants for a number of ionic or neutral target molecules in aqueous medium. Furthermore, these macrocyclic hosts will be used throughout several other work packages as mentioned above.

WP6 - Joint activities : Exchanges of collaborators, seminars, workshops, summer schools, and joint project proposals. Once a year, a symposium will be organized (rotation over the different Flemish universities) to which also international participants will be invited, and the most recent results of the different work packages will be presented. It can be expected that these meetings will lead to further cross-fertilizations and new important initiatives, such as European projects.

Date:1 Jan 2020 →  Today
Keywords:Porphyrins and porphyrin analogs, Multifunctional macrorings, cyclodextrins, calixarenes
Disciplines:Supramolecular chemistry