CeNS Colloquium

Prof. Klaus Müllen
Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany

Organic conjugated molecules and their polymers serve as light emitting or semiconducting components of electronic, optoelectronic and sensing devices as well as bio-assays. Structural perfection in synthesis is crucial; this will be highlighted for nanosized graphenes and shape-persistent dendrimers. An example of the latter case is a soluble, monodisperse macromolecule which is spherically shaped and made up of exactly 5592(!) benzene rings. More complex topologies such as giant conjugated macrocycles require a more sophisticated approach using prepolymers, templates or nanocomposites. Desired properties such as charge transport or energy transfer occur in the bulk and at interfaces and often require a control of supramolecular order, for example, liquid crystalline phases and solid-state morphology. That is why synthesis and processing (creating a well-defined macroscopic state of matter) must be combined and why the needs of materials chemistry cannot be properly met by restricting ones attention to the dilute solution. Some typical approaches toward useful function in organic light harvesting arrays, field effect transistors, solar cells, batteries, catalysts and gene transfection systems will be described. The take-home message is that organic chemistry and its interdisciplinary connections are at the heart of such endeavours.