Calixarenes: Versatile Molecules for Self- and Metal-Directed Assembly

Abstract:

Calixarenes are cyclic polyphenols that have been very widely used in supramolecular chemistry. Their versatile conformational properties, coupled with the ability to functionalise / synthetically alter their frameworks, means that they can be applied in areas such as host-guest and coordination chemistries in a number of different ways. The first part of the talk will focus on the exploitation of the polyphenolic character of calixarenes in polynuclear metal cluster formation, describing common structural trends and how these can be extended through synthetic alteration. The second part will focus on non-covalent assembly before moving into coordination chemistry reminiscent of that of Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Speaker's Profile:

Assoc Prof Dr Scott Dalgarno obtained his PhD from the University of Leeds and has been with Heriot-Watt University as a faculty member since 2007. His research interests include supramolecular chemistry, molecular capsules, host-guest chemistry, coordination polymers / MOFs, polynuclear cluster chemistry and supramolecular catalysis. He is a recipient of many outstanding awards including Royal Society of Chemistry Harrison-Meldola prize, Chemical Communications Emerging Investigator Lectureship and Royal Society of Chemistry Sir Edward Frankland Fellowship.