New Multifunctional Molecular Materials. Veni 700.54.415

The field of molecule-based electro-optic substances has seen a very rapid progress since the discovery of materials with a variety of technologically useful properties such as conductivity and superconductivity, ferromagnetism and non-linear optical properties. Following these discoveries, one of the most appealing aims is to explore multifunctionality: specially designed molecular building blocks allow for novel strategies for synthesizing multifunctional materials which combine a selected set of qualities such as specific magnetic, photophysical and/or electronic properties. Thus, from an appropriate choice of molecular building blocks one can combine in the same crystal lattice a set of properties that are difficult or impossible to achieve in a conventional inorganic solid with a continuous lattice. This opens new possibilities for potential applications in molecular electronics. The objective of this research is to explore new classes of compounds that exhibit multifunctional magnetic properties. These materials are of fundamental importance to high-density storage methods, molecular electronics, sensors and assays. The aim is to integrate luminescent and magnetic properties encoded in the molecular structure, by rational design, and to develop new photo-luminescent and magneto-optic materials. The proposed project covers a broad range of fundamental topics in chemistry, including organic and inorganic synthesis, electronic structure, magnetochemistry, photophysics, and materials chemistry. Through this project I want to develop new concepts in the design of organized molecular architectures containing lanthanide and transition metal ions by combining and integrating the knowledge accumulated during my doctoral studies at Bucharest University and Bordeaux University with that obtained during my postdoctoral research at Leiden University.