You are cordially invited to attend the seminar organized by the Department of Chemistry.
Title: Organic Synthesis of Functional Materials
Speaker: Dr. Paul Dron
Date: 25/03/2025, Tuesday
Time: 12:30 (Turkiye Time)
Place: Zoom
Zoom Meeting ID: 729 064 5404
Zoom Password: 723291
Organic Synthesis of Functional Materials
This seminar will provide an overview of my research journey and briefly showcase future research plans. The focus will be on my current work with Porphene, as well as on Phosphole containing π-conjugated systems for optoelectronics as one of the envisaged research topics.
Easily tunable 2D polymers that preserve electronic conjugation across their entire structure hold significant potential for next-generation electronics. I will present my recent work on Porphene, a graphene-like material composed of porphyrin units. The porphyrin rings feature binding sites that allow for metalation and, if desired, the construction of three-dimensional architectures that retain conjugation—offering numerous opportunities to fine-tune their electronic properties. This research integrates organic synthesis, surface spectroscopy, and computational modeling. Moving forward, the Porphene project could expand by developing new synthesis strategies for the 2D polymer or by exploring alternative starting materials, such as phosphole-containing macrocycles.
Short Biography of the Speaker:
I began my academic journey as a chemical engineer at the University of Bacau, Romania. After completing a master’s degree in the same field, I realized I was more drawn to chemistry than engineering. This led me to pursue a PhD in Supramolecular Chemistry at the University of Dunkerque, France. Working in a small research group with limited funding proved to be a valuable experience—I became skillful enough at synthesizing compounds efficiently and cost-effectively, much to my supervisor’s delight.
After earning my PhD in 2007, I embarked on an extended series of postdoctoral positions, following the well-trodden path of scientific and geographical mobility. My first foray into medicinal chemistry at Instituto Superior Técnico in Portugal made me realize I wasn’t keen on waiting for biologists, so I transitioned to materials chemistry—a field that gave my synthesis work a clear and immediate purpose. From then on, I remained dedicated to materials chemistry while continuing my international research journey: returning to France (University of Angers), then moving to the USA (University of Colorado at Boulder), and later to the Czech Republic (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry).
Throughout these experiences, I was fortunate to work with outstanding mentors who not only guided my research but also instilled in me the principles of conducting meaningful and rigorous science.