Prof. Tim Swager

Tim Swager’s research is broadly focused on synthetic, supramolecular, analytical, and materials chemistry. He is interested in a spectrum of topics with an emphasis on the synthesis and construction of functional assemblies. Molecular recognition pervades a great deal of his research. Chemosensors require recognition elements to discriminate chemical signals. Electronic polymers are one of the areas that his group is well known for having made many innovations. The group is constantly developing new electronic structures, properties, and uses for these materials. Recently, Swager’s group has launched an effort to create functionalized carbon nanotubes and graphenes. They have advanced new chemical methods for their functionalization and utilization in electrocatalysis and chemical and radiation sensing. In the area of liquid crystals, they make use of molecular complementarity and receptor-ligand interactions to provide novel organizations.

Student and postdoctoral researchers in Swager’s group are exposed to a broad range of topics including synthetic chemistry, organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, electro-chemistry, photo-chemistry, and liquid crystal science. The subject areas are briefly summarized here and more can be learned by visiting his research page.

• Chemosensors are molecule-based devices that are designed and synthesized to detect a specific chemical signal. Swager’s chemosensory research is directed at harnessing the unique properties of conjugated organic polymers (molecular wires). His group demonstrated some years ago that “wiring molecular recognition sites in series” leads to ultra-high sensitivity and that this approach has universal applicability for the amplification of chemosensory responses. The principles developed by his group can amplify chemosensory signals by many orders of magnitude. Swager’s sensor principles are now broadly practiced by many research groups around the world and are the basis of a number or emerging sensor technologies. Nonetheless, there are still many basic scientific principles to be determined. The Swager group’s continuing work is focused upon the design, synthesis, and investigation of novel electronic polymers, graphenes, carbon nanotubes, and receptors.
• Swager’s group is developing new classes of Metal Containing Conductive Polymers and Nano-Carbon Composites that contain transition metal centers, for catalytic and recognition functions. The group has succeeded in making the most conductive transition metal hybrid structures and has demonstrated that these materials have important new transport characteristics and properties. The group has also used covalent assemblies of carbon nanotubes and transition metals to give materials with high electrochemical catalytic activity.
• Liquid crystals are undergoing a scientific renaissance! New liquid crystalline phases are being frequently discovered and supramolecular science is making extensive use of liquid crystals as a method for self-assembly. Swager’s group’s interests are broad and include the design and discovery of new classes of liquid crystals, investigations of liquid crystals with high chirality, demonstrations of novel electro-optical effects, development of molecular recognition approaches to liquid crystals, and investigations of new types of polymer/liquid crystal composites. One very useful method for the discovery of novel phases is to assemble liquid crystals from molecules with unusual shapes. The group’s efforts are focused on transition metal complexes, highly unsaturated organic compounds, and polymers that offer special optical, electronic, and structural properties.
• The ability to organize molecules into complex supramolecular structures is a critical foundation for the development of future molecular device technologies. The Swager group is applying molecular recognition principles to the formation of new polymers architectures and organizations.
• Dynamic nuclear polarization is a method that can provide orders of magnitude enhancements in NMR. In collaboration with Professor Griffin (MIT Chemistry), Swager has developed biradical systems that allow for efficient spin polarization transfer from electrons to nuclei. The group’s compounds provide record-level enhancements and are being used widely by the NMR community. Ongoing efforts are to create ever more efficient biradicals for the hyperpolarization of nuclei and to extend these methods to MRI imaging.
• Synthesis underpins all aspects of Swager’s program and over the years his group has developed new reaction methodologies. Areas of specific interest are methods to create polycyclic aromatic systems, novel chain growth polymerizations to create polyaromatic structures, directed annulations, complex block copolymers, and novel methodology for the functionalization of nanocarbon materials.