Projects
Development of all-conjugated multiblock copolymers KU Leuven
In the last two decades, the field of conjugated polymers (CPs) expanded rapidly. Besides the discovery of several controlled chain growth polymerizations and the expansion of the monomer scope, also research toward more complex CPs was performed. Copolymers, e.g. block, gradient and random copolymers, and polymers with different topologies, e.g. hyperbranched, star, circular, graft and toothbrush polymers, were synthesized, but the potential ...
CHISUB intends to design, synthesize, and characterize a library of molecular systems tailored to break chiral symmetry at different time- and length-scales KU Leuven
CHISUB is an ambitious collaborative research project funded by FNRS-FWO under the Excellence of Science (EoS) program that spans over 4 years (2022-2025) and that puts together 6 research groups from Belgium, The Netherlands, and Austria. CHISUB features a multidisciplinary approach, towards crystallization mechanisms of molecules, which uses chiral symmetry breaking as local probe of ordering phenomena and as a tool for enantiomeric ...
Synthesis and chiral expression of conjugated block and gradient copolymers KU Leuven
In this research project, conjugated multiblock copolymers and gradient copolymers will be synthesized. Afterwards the chiral expression in these multiblock copolymers and conjugated gradient copolymers will be investigated. Concerning the synthesis of the multiblock copolymers a well-know procedure (KCTCP) will be used. However, for the synthesis of the gradient copolymers, a completely new synthetic approach will be developed. This new ...
Development of a generic protocol for synthesis of conjugated polymer/nanoparticle hybrids. KU Leuven
This dissertation focusses on the synthesis of more advanced polymer structures by the use of air-stable Ni-initiators and the strong control over the Kumada catalyst transfer polycondensation (KCTP). About a decade ago a controlled chain-growth polymerization of poly(3-alkylthiophene) (P3AT) was published, which opened possibilities for the formation of new polymeric structures. Different research groups have focused on end-functionalization ...
Covalent chiral functionalization of graphite for enantioselective separation KU Leuven
An object, or a molecule is said to be chiral if it can be distinguished from its mirror image. Chirality plays an important role in many areas of chemistry, biology, and physics. Many chemical processes involving solid surfaces such as catalysis, crystallization, adsorption, and so forth, are sensitive to chirality. Thus, surfaces are not only fertile playground studying chirality, but they can also be used to promote the separation of ...
Covalent chiral functionalization of graphite for enantioselective applications KU Leuven
An object, or a molecule is said to be chiral if it can be distinguished from its mirror image. Chirality plays an important role in many areas of chemistry, biology, and physics. Many chemical processes involving solid surfaces such as catalysis, crystallization, adsorption, and so forth, are sensitive to chirality. Thus, surfaces are not fertile playground studying chirality, but they can also be used to promote the separation of ...
CHIral symmetry breaking from Surface to Bulk: a multidisciplinary approach of the crystallization of achiral and chiral molecules KU Leuven
CHISUB features a multidisciplinary approach, towards crystallization mechanisms of molecules, which uses
chiral symmetry breaking as local probe of ordering phenomena and as a tool for enantiomeric separation.
Crystallization often starts on surfaces of rigid substrates with the formation of 2D self-assembled molecular
layers and then extends to bulk phases. CHISUB intends to design, synthesize, and characterize a library ...
Chiral-induced spin selectivity effect at nano and single-molecule scales (CISSCA) KU Leuven
Chirality is often considered as a structural property of molecules, but the concept also applies to electrons because of their spin. Achiral at rest, they acquire a helicity (chirality) in the direction of motion. Consequently, electrons are filtered according to their spin when crossing chiral materials. This newly uncovered chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect is surprisingly large. Spin polarization up to 100% has been ...