Research

The focal point of our research program is the synthesis and study of heteroatom-doped polycyclic aromatic scaffolds with the aim to i) investigate the influence of interior heteroatoms on their fundamental structural, electronic, and materials characteristics and ii) apply the resulting compounds as active materials in organic optoelectronic devices. We use various rationally designed low-molecular building blocks such as functionalized triarylamines, triarylphosphines, and triarylboranes that are transformed into unprecedented p-conjugated heteroatom-rich architectures in newly developed synthetic protocols. In addition to conventional synthesis, we explore and further develop alternative approaches such as flash vacuum pyrolysis and surface-assisted reactions followed by scanning probe microscopy. While our research program is clearly synthesis-driven, fundamental understanding and function of the resulting compounds are essential for us. The long-term objective of this project is the fabrication of very large heteroatom-doped p-conjugated scaffolds which should not only act as defined molecular fragments of heteroatom-doped carbon allotropes but also display fascinating chemistry and unprecedented properties. While pursuing this goal, we expect that many intriguing discoveries will be made. This project is situated at the interface between organic chemistry, physical organic chemistry, and materials science. In other words, the compounds prepared within this research will become the subject of interdisciplinary collaborative investigations.