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
Publications
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
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
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
Journal - Research Article
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 ZnII and CuII: 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
Journal - Research Other
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