Chemistry Weekly Seminar - Marc MacKinnon, University of Regina
Marc MacKinnon, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Regina, will present a seminar at 1:30 pm in Thorvaldson 159.
Title
Putting Together the Pieces: Synthesis and Functionalization of PAHs
Abstract
Aromatic compounds are omnipresent in our lives. They are in our medicines, devices, clothing and even the food we eat and we interact with them on a daily basis. Fusing several aromatic rings together gives rise to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which occur naturally in fossil fuels and from incomplete combustion. Historically, PAHs were sought-after materials for the dye industry, later becoming important in fundamental studies on the nature of aromaticity, and as models for studies into their carcinogenic properties. More recently, PAHs have garnered interest as materials like organic semiconductors or light-emitting diodes. These advantageous and exploitable properties have led to an explosion of synthetic methods geared towards their preparation. This talk will present some of our work on the preparation of a special class of PAHs, known as cyclophanes, and our more recent work on approaches to functionalizing PAH cores to make them more amenable to future applications.
Date: Friday, December 1
Time: 1:30 pm
Place: Thorvaldson 159