Northern Kentucky University
The Molecular Wire Concept and Development
Institution
Northern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Keith Walters
Abstract
The goal of our supramolecular research is to create a molecular wire subunit which will transfer electrons over a highly conjugated organic polymer. This unit will wrap around a metal center thus bringing the metal directly in line with the conjugated polymer backbone creating a macromolecule, a polymer incorporating metals for the purpose of transferring energy. This project first requires the synthesis of a series of ligands followed by the synthesis of the final molecular wire subunit. Currently, this project has been worked on from two ends. The first involves synthesizing the molecular wire ligands for the molecular wire subunit. The other project focuses on creating a “hub” molecule which will be incorporated into a fullerene complex. This highly conjugated system will be especially suited for transferring electrons over the conjugated surface. When these modular compounds are synthesized they will be attached to the fullerene and then combined in the organometallic complex.
The Molecular Wire Concept and Development
The goal of our supramolecular research is to create a molecular wire subunit which will transfer electrons over a highly conjugated organic polymer. This unit will wrap around a metal center thus bringing the metal directly in line with the conjugated polymer backbone creating a macromolecule, a polymer incorporating metals for the purpose of transferring energy. This project first requires the synthesis of a series of ligands followed by the synthesis of the final molecular wire subunit. Currently, this project has been worked on from two ends. The first involves synthesizing the molecular wire ligands for the molecular wire subunit. The other project focuses on creating a “hub” molecule which will be incorporated into a fullerene complex. This highly conjugated system will be especially suited for transferring electrons over the conjugated surface. When these modular compounds are synthesized they will be attached to the fullerene and then combined in the organometallic complex.