Priority Program "Light-controlled reactivity of metal complexes" paves the way for the development of new high-performance materials
25 April 2017
Generation and photochemical utilization of light are two of the most significant fundamental aspects of technological developments that will shape society, politics, science and the economy in the future. From these can be derived energy-saving concepts in display technology, in the field of solar energy and in the efficient, light-powered syntheses of value-added products as well as in innovative approaches to the use of materials in sensor technology, imaging, and phototherapy. "There is no other class of substances that offers a wider range of design options capable of meeting the demands of these diverse applications than molecular metal complexes," explained Professor Katja Heinze of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). Heinze coordinates the new Priority Program "Light-controlled reactivity of metal complexes" (LCRMC) to be funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The supraregional DFG Priority Program will commence its work in 2018 and will be funded by the DFG for an anticipated six years. "So far, only a fraction of the scientific and technological potential of photoactive metal complexes has been exploited. The preparation of completely new classes of metal complexes and the investigation of the energy profiles of electronically excited states should enable us to obtain more extensive fundamental insights into this group of substances. This will pave the way for the development of innovative, high performance materials for a range of applications in medicine, sensor technology, display technology, chemical synthesis, and the conversion of sunlight to power," added Heinze.
The objective of the LCRMC Priority Program is to join the synthetic, spectroscopic, and theoretical expertise and methodological infrastructure that is currently dispersed among various groups in Germany. The call for proposals of the innovative and highly interdisciplinary LCRMC Priority Program will be announced by the German Research Foundation.