Dr Nigel Lucas, Our people, Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, New Zealand

nigel_lucas PhD, BSc(Hons) (ANU)

Tel: 03 479 5377
Location: Science II, 3n11
Email: nigel.lucas@otago.ac.nz

Professional Background

1997 BSc(Hons), Australian National University
2002 PhD, Australian National University
2002 Postdoctoral Research, University of NSW
2003-5 Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz
2005-8 ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Sydney
2008-12 Lecturer, University of Otago
2009- 18 MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Associate Investigator
2012- 18 Senior Lecturer, University of Otago
2018- Associate Professor, University of Otago
2018 - MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Principal Investigator

Research

Our research centres on the design, synthesis and characterisation of new carbon-rich molecular materials, in particular, those based on polyaromatic building blocks and often incorporating metals. While much of our experimental work is focused on the synthesis of molecules, we are also interested in the how these molecules interact with each other through intermolecular interactions in solution, in the bulk (solid, liquid crystalline mesophases) and on surfaces. This knowledge enables us to design new molecules that have not only the desired physical properties (e.g. optical, electronic), but also the ability to self-organise from solution into ordered nanoscale structures.

Main Research Interests:

synthesis and properties of carbon-rich molecular materials
supramolecular chemistry and self-assembly
organometallic chemistry and catalysis
metal-containing liquid crystals
crystallography

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Publications

Smith, J. N., Brind, T. K., Petrie, S. B., Grant, M. S., & Lucas, N. T. (2020). One-step synthesis of C_2v-symmetric resorcin[4]arene tetraethers. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 85, 4574-4580. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.0c00128

Hall, T. B. J., Hoggard, B. R., Larsen, C. B., & Lucas, N. T. (2019). Synthesis of cyclopenta-HBCs and their regioselective chlorination during oxidative cyclodehydrogenation. Chemistry: An Asian Journal, 14, 1106-1110. doi: 10.1002/asia.201801812

Smith, J. N., & Lucas, N. T. (2018). Rigid tetraarylene-bridged cavitands from reduced-symmetry resorcin[4]arene derivatives. Chemical Communications, 54, 4716. doi: 10.1039/c8cc01903g

Smith, J. N., Hook, J. M., & Lucas, N. T. (2018). Superphenylphosphines: Nanographene-based ligands that control coordination geometry and drive supramolecular assembly. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 143(3), 1131-1141. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b12251

Elliott, A. B. S., Horvath, R., Sun, X.-Z., Gardiner, M. G., Müllen, K., Lucas, N. T., … Gordon, K. C. (2016). Long-lived charge transfer excited states in HBC-polypyridyl complex hybrids. Inorganic Chemistry, 55(10), 4710-4719. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b02602

Journal - Research Article
Journal - Research Other

Journal - Research Article

Swaney, B., Luxenburger, A., Lucas, N. T., Hawkins, B. C., & Hinkley, S. F. R. (2020). The synthesis of 3-azabicyclo[4.3.0]nonane scaffolds from Brefeldin A. Tetrahedron Letters, 61, 152006. doi: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2020.152006

Barnsley, J. E., Shillito, G. E., Larsen, C. B., van der Salm, H., Horvath, R., Sun, X. Z., … Lucas, N. T., & Gordon, K. C. (2019). Generation of microsecond charge-separated excited states in rhenium(I) diimine complexes: Driving force is the dominant factor in controlling lifetime. Inorganic Chemistry, 58, 9785-9795. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b00792

Barnsley, J. E., Shillito, G. E., Mapley, J. I., Larsen, C. B., Lucas, N. T., & Gordon, K. C. (2018). Walking the emission tightrope: Spectral and computational analysis of some dual-emitting benzothiadiazole donor-acceptor dyes. Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 122(40), 7991-8006. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpca.8b05361

Shillito, G. E., Hall, T. B. J., Preston, D., Traber, P., Wu, L., Reynolds, K. E. A., … Lucas, N. T., Crowley, J. D., … Gordon, K. C. (2018). Dramatic alteration of ³ILCT lifetimes using ancillary ligands in [Re(L)(CO)₃(phen-TPA)]ⁿ⁺ complexes: An integrated spectroscopic and theoretical study. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 140(13), 4534-4542. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b12868

Lamb, R. A., Lucas, N. T., Lessene, G., & Hawkins, B. C. (2018). Strategies, setbacks, and successes in the synthesis of (-)-spiroleucettadine. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 83(17), 10120-10133. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.8b01404

Adams, B. S., Shillito, G. E., van der Salm, H., Horvath, R., Larsen, C. B., Sun, X.-Z., Lucas, N. T., … Gordon, K. C. (2017). Alteration of intraligand donor-acceptor interactions through torsional connectivity in substituted Re-dppz complexes. Inorganic Chemistry, 56, 12967-12977. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b01710

Kim, T. Y., Digal, L., Gardiner, M. G., Lucas, N. T., & Crowley, J. D. (2017). Octahedral [Pd₆L₈]¹²⁺ metallosupramolecular cages: Synthesis, structures and guest-encapsulation studies. Chemistry: A European Journal, 23, 15089-15097. doi: 10.1002/chem.201702518

Lamb, R. A., Aberle, N. S., Lucas, N. T., Lessene, G., & Hawkins, B. C. (2017). Total synthesis of (—)-Spiroleucettadine [Brief communication]. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 56(46), 14663-14666. doi: 10.1002/anie.201708110

Rodpun, K., Lucas, N. T., Tan, E. W., & Meledandri, C. J. (2016). Development of solvent-dispersible coordination polymer nanocrystals and application as efficient heterogeneous catalysts. Crystal Growth & Design, 16(7), 3940-3946. doi: 10.1021/acs.cgd.6b00502

Wright, J. R., Crowley, J. D., & Lucas, N. T. (2016). Carbon-rich "click" 1,2,3-triazoles: Hexaphenylbenzene and hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene-based ligands for Suzuki-Miyaura catalysts. Chemical Communications, 52(88), 12976-12979. doi: 10.1039/c6cc07413h

Larsen, C. B., van der Salm, H., Shillito, G. E., Lucas, N. T., & Gordon, K. C. (2016). Tuning the rainbow: Systematic modulation of donor-acceptor systems through donor substituents and solvent. Inorganic Chemistry, 55(17), 8446-8458. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b01039

Craig, A. J., van der Salm, L., Stevens-Cullinane, L., Lucas, N. T., Tan, E. W., & Hawkins, B. C. (2015). Expedient metal-free synthesis of 1,3-oxazinen-4-ones. Organic Letters, 17(2), 234-237. doi: 10.1021/ol503350h

Rodpun, K., Blackman, A. G., Gardiner, M. G., Tan, E. W., Meledandri, C. J., & Lucas, N. T. (2015). Alkyl linker effects on the coordination topology of ditopic di(2-pyridylmethyl)amine carboxylate ligands with Zn^II and Cu^II: Polymers vs. macrocycles. CrystEngComm, 17(15), 2974-2988. doi: 10.1039/c5ce00375j

Hoggard, B. R., Larsen, C. B., & Lucas, N. T. (2014). Site selectivity of [RuCp*]⁺ complexation in cyclopenta[def]triphenylenes. Organometallics, 33(21), 6200-6209. doi: 10.1021/om5008852

van der Salm, H., Larsen, C. B., McLay, J. R. W., Fraser, M. G., Lucas, N. T., & Gordon, K. C. (2014). Stretching the phenazine MO in dppz: The effect of phenyl and phenyl-ethynyl groups on the photophysics of Re(I) dppz complexes. Dalton Transactions, 43, 17775-17785. doi: 10.1039/c4dt01415d

Tomar, M., Lucas, N. T., Müllen, K., & Jacob, J. (2013). Facile synthesis and coupling of 3,9-dibromo-6-aryl-5H-dibenzo[d,f][1,3]diazepine derivatives. Tetrahedron Letters, 54(44), 5883-5885. doi: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2013.08.107

Wright, J. R., Young, P. C., Lucas, N. T., Lee, A.-L., & Crowley, J. D. (2013). Gold(I) and Palladium(II) complexes of 1,3,4-trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene "click" carbenes: Systematic study of the electronic and steric influence on catalytic activity. Organometallics, 32(23), 7065-7076. doi: 10.1021/om400773n

Bartenstein, J. E., & Lucas, N. T. (2012). Reduced symmetry triflate-resorcin[4]arenes. Supramolecular Chemistry, 24(8), 618-626. doi: 10.1080/10610278.2012.703324

Baker, R. W., Radzey, H., Lucas, N. T., & Turner, P. (2012). Stereospecific syntheses and structures of planar chiral bidentate η⁵:κS-indenyl - sulfanyl and -sulfinyl complexes of rhodium(III). Organometallics, 31(15), 5622-5633. doi: 10.1021/om300581r

Scaria, R., Lucas, N. T., Müllen, K., & Jacob, J. (2011). Blue-emitting copolymers of isoquinoline and fluorene. Reactive & Functional Polymers, 71(8), 849-856. doi: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2011.05.006

Anant, P., Mangold, H., Lucas, N. T., Laquai, F., & Jacob, J. (2011). Synthesis and characterization of donor-acceptor type 4,4'-Bis(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)-based copolymers. Polymer, 52(20), 4442-4450. doi: 10.1016/j.polymer.2011.07.053

Saini, G., Lucas, N. T., & Jacob, J. (2010). Tetrathiophenes with thiophene side chains: Effect of substitution on packing and conjugation. Tetrahedron Letters, 51, 2956-2958. doi: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2010.03.087

Anant, P., Lucas, N. T., Ball, J. M., Anthopoulos, T. D., & Jacob, J. (2010). Synthesis and characterization of pyrene-centered oligothiophenes. Synthetic Metals, 160(17-18), 1987-1993. doi: 10.1016/j.synthmet.2010.07.022

Shi, Y., Qian, H., Lucas, N. T., Xu, W., & Wang, Z. (2009). Synthesis of a three-dimensional spiro-annulated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Tetrahedron Letters, 50(28), 4110-4113.

Li, Z., Zhi, L., Lucas, N. T., & Wang, Z. (2009). Triangle-shaped polycyclic aromatics based on tribenzocoronene: Facile synthesis and physical properties. Tetrahedron, 65(17), 3417-3424. doi: 10.1016/j.tet.2009.02.042

Anant, P., Lucas, N. T., & Jacob, J. (2008). A simple route toward the synthesis of bisbenzothiadiazole derivatives. Organic Letters, 10(24), 5533-5536. doi: 10.1021/ol8022837

Kokkin, D. L., Troy, T. P., Nakajima, M., Nauta, K., Varberg, T. D., Metha, G. F., Lucas, N. T., & Schmidt, T. W. (2008). The optical spectrum of a large isolated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon: Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene, C₄₂H₁₈. Astrophysical Journal, 681, L49-L51.

Lucas, N. T., Zareie, H. M., & McDonagh, A. M. (2007). Self-organization of a discotic coordination complex bearing orthogonal discotic ligands. ACS Nano, 1(4), 348-354. doi: 10.1021/nn700187b

El Hamaoui, B., Zhi, L., Wu, J., Li, J., Lucas, N. T., Tomović, Ž., … Müllen, K. (2007). Solid-state pyrolysis of polyphenylene-metal complexes: A facile approach toward carbon nanoparticles. Advanced Functional Materials, 17, 1179-1187. doi: 10.1002/adfm.200600826

Cifuentes, M. P., Powell, C. E., Morrall, J. P., McDonagh, A. M., Lucas, N. T., Humphrey, M. G., … Isoshima, T. (2006). Electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical, and molecular quadratic and cubic nonlinear optical properties of alkynylruthenium dendrimers. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 128(33), 10819-10832. doi: 10.1021/ja062246v

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Journal - Research Other

Gai, S., Lucas, N. T., & Hawkins, B. C. (2019). Benzannulated 6,5-spiroketals from donor-acceptor cyclopropanes. Organic Letters, 21(8), 2872-2875. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.9b00878