The principle aim of their research program is the systematic development of new organic conductors, semiconductors, and superconductors through a detailed understanding and chemical control of the electronic properties. This approach depends on a coherent interplay of synthesis, physical characterization and analysis to determine how molecular structure affects intermolecular interactions in organic solids. These interactions which are responsible for the electrical, magnetic and optical properties of these materials are highly sensitive to chemical modification. Their past work based on this approach has resulted in significant accomplishments in innovative synthesis, physical experiments, and theory of organic donors, acceptors, and radical salts. Their synthetic program will initially focus on three areas: (1) the development of synthetic procedures leading to the long-sought donor TMTTeF (tetramethyltetratellurafulvalene), the Te-congener of TMTSF from which evolved the first organic superconductor; (2) the preparation of a broad class of tetraoxafulvalenes and mixed dioxadithiafulvalenes donors; (3) the preparation of spiro-donors which may provide more two- and three-dimensional solid state interactions. Evolution of our synthetic program will continue to depend on guidance from concurrent correlated studies of the structural, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of these compounds. In the electrical switching aspect of their program they hope to achieve a more complete understanding and chemical control of the formation and electrical properties of these materials that can reversibly switch relatively large amounts of current in a short time span.
