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, 3n10
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 Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz
2005-8 ARC Postdoctoral Fellow, 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
2020- Associate Dean (Postgraduate), Division of Sciences

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
materials for hydrogen storage
metal-containing liquid crystals
crystallography

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Publications

Smith, J. N., Ennis, C., & Lucas, N. T. (2021). Rigid, biconical hydrogen-bonded dimers that strongly encapsulate cationic guests in solution and the solid state. Chemical Science. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1039/d1sc01802g

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

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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

Journal - Research Other

Journal - Research Article

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

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

Journal - Research Article

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

Journal - Research Other

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Journal - Research Article

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

Journal - Research Article

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.

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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

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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

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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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Associate Professor Nigel Lucas

Professional Background

Research

Main Research Interests:

Publications