Molecular electronics of metallic complexes of porphyrinoids

• Grant number: 17/14425-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ernesto Chaves Pereira de Souza
• Grantee: Ciro Scheremeta Quintans
• Supervisor: Ismael Diez Perez
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: King's College London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/05363-2 - Electrochemistry at the nanoscale: biomimetic electrocatalysis and molecular electronics using bimetallic complexes of expanded porphyrins, BP.DR

Abstract

Porphyrinoids consist in a class of materials closely related to nature. Without porphyrins, life as we know would not exist, since they are responsible for conversion of sunlight into chemical energy, in chloroplasts, transport and reduction of oxygen in hemoglobins and electron transport and catalysis in citochromes. In analogy to nature and due to its exceptional optical and electronical properties, it has already been widely applied from photodynamic therapy, sensors, catalysis and photovoltaics dyes. However, the development of these materials are mostly based on "trial and error" methodology. Where we know that changing its complexed metallic center and its meso/²-pyrrolic ligands will change its properties, but the outcome on its electron transfer and catalytic properties are difficult to predict. For these reasons, the main objective of this project is to study a class of expanded porphyrins: the hexaphyrin. A series of different metalled hexaphyrins have been proposed with the objective of understanding how the complexed metal influences its electron transfer and electrocatalysis, as well as possible interactions among metal centers in the same molecule. (AU)