Organic & Nanomaterials Research

This area of research involves the design, synthesis and characterization of new molecules and materials based on carbon building blocks for applications that improve our quality of life.

More in Organic Chemistry & Nanomaterials Research

Exploring Carbon Chemistry and Nanoscale Materials for Real-World Impact

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-containing compounds, focusing on their structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation. It's a broad field that encompasses everything from basic molecular structures to complex biological systems. Essentially, it's the chemistry of carbon and its compounds.

Materials at the nanoscale (1 - 1000 nm) have unique properties that provide access to new chemistries, and can be employed in a range of different applications, including sensing, drug delivery, environmental chemistry, catalysis, and biochemistry.

Research Projects

Professor Penghao Li

Dr. Li's research group utilizes the toolboxes of physical organic and supramolecular chemistry to synthesize novel molecular, supramolecular, and macromolecular architectures composed of pi-conjugated building blocks. There materials exhibit unique optical, magnetic, and recognition behaviors, which will be useful for the development of optoelectronic and biomedical related technologies. Dr. Li's research projects include (1) precise synthesis of graphene nanoribbons and nanographene radicaloids, (2) molecular recognition of curved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and (3) development of molecularly thin 2D supramolecular materials.
Carbon Nanoarchitecture