The focus of this research is to develop methodology for the preparation of porphyrins with fused pyrene rings and to test the potential for using pyrene as a platform for connecting fused porphyrin rings. In parallel studies, the synthesis, characterization and chemistry of carbaporphyrins will be investigated. Other macrocyclic systems, including tropiporphyrin, will be synthesized using "3+1" methodology and "4+1" methodology will be used to prepare carba-analogues of expanded porphyrins. Undergraduate students will be involved at all stages of the research.
With this renewal Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) award, the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program is supporting the research efforts of Dr. Timothy D. Lash of the Department of Chemistry at Illinois State University. Dr. Lash will focus his work on the preparation of porphyrin-like chromophores and related dimeric or oligomeric systems. Porphyrins are a class of brightly colored heterocycles that serve a variety of functions in nature and the synthesis of analogues opens new avenues for the preparation of compounds with potentially interesting properties. The work will be carried out with the collaboration of undergraduate and masters level graduate students.
