TITLE: Design & Synthesis of π-Conjugated Organic Molecules

ABSTRACT: Conjugated organic molecules don't simply have the potential to be used in advanced electronic materials, they're already some of the active components in your TVs, phones, watches, and other devices. Several of the highest performing π-conjugated organic electronic materials, however, suffer from poor stability and difficult synthesis. Phenazine derivatives represent a class of N-heterocyclic acenes that have shown promise as stable, high-performance organic compounds with novel optoelectronic properties. This presentation will highlight some of our recent research on the design and synthesis of multifunctional phenazine derivatives.

BIO: Brian Northrop grew up in Maryland before attending Middlebury College in Vermont. After graduation, he took a year off before starting graduate school at UCLA where he worked jointly with Profs. Ken Houk and Fraser Stoddart. Upon receiving his Ph.D. Brian moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he worked as an NIH Postdoc with Prof. Peter Stang. In 2009 he started his independent career at Wesleyan University where he is currently the E. B. Nye Professor of Chemistry.