Research Activities
While polymers have long permeated most aspects of modern life—from commodity plastics to high-tech coatings and microelectronics—we have only just begun to scratch the surface of their potential. Conjugated polymers, for example, represent a class of exciting materials due to their intriguing electronic and optical properties that may enable the production of unique sensors, solar cells, and energy storage systems. If these desirable characteristics are to be harnessed, however, the ability to access constructs with complex molecular compositions and three-dimensional architectures must first be achieved. Our group aims to exploit classic organic reactions to control the monomer content and spatial assembly of macromolecules. Three different areas of research are actively explored:
- the design of sequence-controlled polymerizations to afford conjugated polymers with defined monomer sequences;
- the scalable synthesis of twisted/distorted conductive materials, including graphene nanoribbons, by employing "bottom-up" approaches; and
- the invention of a traceless click process to rapidly synthesize and functionalize small molecules or polymers.
Through monomer, catalyst, and polymer preparation, students will receive extensive training in the fields of synthetic organic chemistry and polymer synthesis and characterization.
Educational Background
B.S., 2008, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon
M.S., 2010, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon
Ph.D., 2015, The Scripps Research Institute
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2015–2018, Cornell University
Awards & Recognition
- SciFinder Future Leaders Award
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Graduate Fellowship in Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Selected Publications
- Sousa e Silva, F. C.; Maziarz, K; Michaudel, Q.* Modular Synthesis of Alkenyl Sulfamates and β-Ketosulfonamides via Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) Click Chemistry and Photomediated 1,3-Rearrangement Org. Lett. 2021, 23, 5271–5276.
- Kempel, S. J.; Hsu, T.-W.; Michaudel, Q.* Stereoretentive Olefin Metathesis: A New Avenue for the Synthesis of All-cis Poly(p-phenylene vinylene)s and Stereodefined Polyalkenamers. Synlett 2021,32, 851–857.
- Kulow, R. W.; Wu, J. W.; Kim, C.; Michaudel, Q.* Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Sulfamides and Polysulfamides via Sufex Click Chemistry. Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 7807–7812.
- Hsu, T.-W.; Kim, C.; Michaudel, Q.* Stereoretentive Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization to Access All-cis Poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s with Living Characteristics. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 11983–11987.
- Kottisch, V.; O'Leary, J.; Michaudel, Q.; Stache, E. E.; Lambert, T. H.; Fors, B. P. Controlled Cationic Polymerization: Single-Component Initiation Under Ambient Conditions. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 10605–10609.