Our research focuses on the development of new functional molecular and polymeric materials with interesting and unusual optical, electronic, catalytic, sensory, or stimuli responsive properties. The following are some specific examples of research topics that we are currently pursuing:

• Project A: Boron-doped Conjugated Oligomers, Macrocycles, and Polymers: We target new conjugated hybrid materials for applications in organic electronics, as luminescent and sensory materials. Recent studies have focused on all-polymer solar cell and near-IR imaging applications.

• Project B: Lewis Pair Functionalization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): We are investigating new approaches to the functionalization of PAHs and their applications in organic electronics, singlet oxygen sensitization, and triplet-triplet annihilation.

• Project C: Nanostructured Luminescent and Stimulus-Responsive Materials: We use controlled polymerization methods to prepare luminescent (co)polymers, study their self-assembly, thermo-responsive properties, and (bio)sensing applications.

• Project D: Sustainable Chemistry: Polymer-Supported Lewis Acids and Lewis Pairs: We pursue polymer-supported Lewis acids and “frustrated” Lewis pairs (FLPs) for applications in catalysis and supramolecular materials.

• Project E: Pyridylborate Ligands: Toward Metal-Containing Supramolecular Materials: We develop new scorpionate-type di- and polytopic ligands for use as building blocks of supramolecular and redox-active metallopolymers.

• Project F: Ferrocene-Based Chiral Lewis Acids and Lewis Pairs: We investigate planar chiral ferrocenes that are functionalized with Lewis acid/base sites as ambiphilic Ligands and for stereoselective synthesis.