Professor of Chemistry and Applied Physics
California Institute of Technology
Over the past decade, the Stoddart group, firstly at UCLA and now at NU and the Goddard group at CALTECH have collaborated on several research projects including
molecular electronics, RGB systems and, very recently, radically based systems within mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs). Their theoretical approach brings
fundamental understanding to our experimental findings with high-level computational methods. The Goddard group has developed theoretical methods based on Density
Functional Theory (DFT) to predict and understand the nature of MIMs. Their fearless and adventuresome theoretical approach has shed light on several challenging
problems in the area of mechanostereochemistry. This fruitful collaboration has already resulted in a large number of high profile publications, including articles in
Nature Chemistry, the Journal of the American Chemistry.
Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Northwestern University
Shortly after our move to Northwestern University, both the Stoddart group and the Grzybowski group initiated a fruitful multidisciplinary collaboration spanning the
areas of nanoscience, self-assembly, and chemical systems engineering. This knightly collaboration brings together students in both the chemical engineering and
chemistry departments, whilst simultaneously uniting current work underway in Northwestern's DOE Center for Nonequilibrium Energy Research Materials and the Center for
the Chemistry of Integrated Systems. The collaborative work focusing on nanoparticulated switches, chemical networks, theory, templated nanoparticle self-assembly, and
diffusion in reticular networks has already yielded numerous high impact publications in journals including communications and papers in Angewandte Chemie, The
Journal
of the American Chemical Society, Nano Letters, Nature Chemistry, and Nature.
Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
UCLA
The Stoddart and Yaghi groups began their collaboration in 2006, by attempting to bridge the fields of reticular chemistry and mechanostereochemistry. Their joint
objective is to locate mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) precisely within the highly ordered crystalline lattices of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This
highly challenging joint project which requires significant input from both groups, has culminated in a first publication in Science in 2009, describing the
preparation of MOFs replete with crown ether appendages capable of sequestering the herbicide Paraquat from solution into the MOF crystal. Subsequent
publications
have followed in Chemical Communications and Chemistry–A European Journal. Buoyed by these initial successes, numerous collaborative efforts are ongoing,
many of which
involve group members traveling between the labs at NU and UCLA.
Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
UCLA
Over the past several years, the Stoddart and Zink groups have embarked on a productive and successful collaboration aimed at developing the area of mechanized
mesoporous silica gel nanoparticles. The focus of our work together is to take molecular switches and use them as gating devices for cargo stored within the pores of
the nanoparticles. These devices have captured a lot of interest as potential drug delivery vehicles, where therapeutic drugs can be stored within nanosized carriers
and are then released upon meeting with a specific biological stimulus, e.g., pH, enzymatic cleavage. This collaboration involves several intersecting scientific
areas that include nanoscale device fabrication, supramolecular chemistry, inorganic/organic synthesis and therapeutic drug delivery.
