The 2nd ‘From Carbon-Rich Molecules to Carbon-Based Materials’ Conference took place at the Melia Nassau Beach Resort in Nassau, Bahamas on 7–10 June 2018. This interdisciplinary meeting provided unique “fusion” opportunities for chemists, physicists and engineers having various backgrounds but sharing passion and interests in carbon-rich molecules and carbon-based materials. Returning conference chair Marina A. Petrukhina (University of Albany) was ably assisted by new co-chair Michael M. Haley (University of Oregon). The co-chairs assembled in Nassau a group of scientists ranging from graduate students (16% of the attendees) and young assistant professors to world-recognized leaders in the field. The 59 attendees came from all over the globe—USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Japan, Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Russia, China, Poland, Germany, Taiwan and Denmark—to discuss the current challenges, needs and goals of this quickly-evolving interdisciplinary field. Talks (41) and posters (15) at the 2018 meeting focused on areas ranging from new designed methods of chemical synthesis, characterization, and structure determination of carbon-rich molecules and carbon-based materials to measurements of their functional properties in devices and on surfaces and investigations into their potential breadth of practical applications as new materials.

I am absolutely impressed with the outstanding event you have made! First of all, excellent scientific program. This is the best conference on this topic I have ever attended. Next, is the highest level of organization. Congratulations to your successful Fusion efforts! – Valentine Ananikov

Day one kicked off with a spectacular plenary talk from Kenichiro Itami (Nagoya University) on “molecular nanocarbon science” in which he discussed the synthesis and properties of several “holy grail” molecules, such as the first synthesis of a purely hydrocarbon, fully conjugated nanobelt. As the initial speaker, Itami set the bar at a high scientific level, and the following seven invited talks delivered in a similar fashion. Topics ranged from alkyne origami and on-surface synthesis of graphene nanoribbons to singlet fission in acene oligomers and negatively curved carbon topologies. It is worth noting that we did not have “themed” sessions within the meeting, as we believe intermixing the topics keeps attendance up.

Day two featured plenaries from Mark Hersam (Northwestern University) and Miguel Garcia-Garibay (University of California, Los Angeles). Hersam discussed surface and interface engineering of two-dimensional heterostructures, including emerging efforts targeting synthetic 2D materials (e.g., borophene) that do not exist as layered systems in the bulk. Garcia-Garibay presented the latest results from his group’s studies on dynamic molecular machines/gyroscopes. Using specialized NMR techniques, Garcia-Garibay and his students are able to predict/model molecular motion in the solid state. In addition to the two plenary lectures, day two featured nine invited and three contributed talks. These lectures covered areas such as donor-acceptor cruciforms, organometallics with only carbon-rich ligands, diradicaloids, nanographenes, to mention just a few of the diverse topics covered.

“The meeting was really great. A lot of good science, good friends and a very pleasant atmosphere, I really enjoyed it” – Jean-François Nierengarten

Day three’s plenary lecture from Luis Echegoyen (University of Texas at El Paso) discussed a number of endohedral fullerene derivatives which used the nanocages to trap unique small metal units that are never observed outside of such a confined environment. These metals also promoted the formation of unique fullerene structures, ones that would never be observed without the presence of the metal (e.g., pentalene-containing fullerenes). The subsequent eight invited and two contributed talks continued to illustrate the breadth of the carbon-themed conference, with topics discussing both planar (porphyrins, benzocoronenes, pyrrolopyrroles) and curved (corannulenes, sumanenes, cyclophanes, CPPs) carbon-rich structures, whether as single molecules or as polymeric materials. The 90-minute poster session ended the day’s scientific program. As with the talks, the quality of the student posters was quite strong, making it a tough task for the poster judges to decide the award winners. Despite the threat of rain, the gala dinner and awarding of the poster prizes went off without a hitch.

Day four’s plenary lecture from Colin Nuckolls (Columbia University) presented many new non-planar/twisted/curved molecules containing electron-accepting oligorylene diimides for use in organic electronics. Nuckolls not only showed the synthesis of these unique molecules, but also reported remarkably high power conversion efficiencies when using them in perovskite-based organic solar cells. Although attendance was notably lighter on the last day, all remaining attendees were quite engaged for the final three invited and four contributed talks.  The co-organizers wrapped up the conference shortly after noon.

“It has been a fantastic 4 days, filled with highly useful scientific discussion. This community is truly the best.” – Jean-François Morin

Congratulations to the poster prize winners:

Fusion Conferences

• Dominik Lungerich (University of Erlangen-Nuremburg)
• Max Martin (University of Erlangen-Nuremburg)
• Garvin Peters (Johns Hopkins University)
• Linda Bannwart (University of Basel)

Material Chemistry Frontiers

• Samuel Peurifoy (Columbia University
• Henrik Gotfredsen (University of Copenhagen)

Journal of Material Chemistry A

• Nicholas Blelloch (Dartmouth College)

Journal of Material Chemistry C

• Youzhi Xu (University of Ulm)

Material Horizons

• Justin Dressler (University of Oregon)

We sincerely thank the RSC journals listed above for being our media partners. The meeting was expertly organized by Meredith Willmott, who was a joy to work with. We acknowledge Laura Trundle and her team at Fusion Conferences, Ltd. for their helpful interactions with the organizers and participants. Both organizers have heard nothing but strongly positive, even glowing, comments from a number of the participants.  This was one of the smoothest run conferences the organizers have been involved with!

This interdisciplinary conference will provide unique “fusion” opportunities for chemists, physicists and engineers having various backgrounds but sharing passion and interests in carbon-only or carbon-rich molecules and carbon-based materials. It will allow a diverse group of scientists from all over the globe to discuss the current challenges, needs and prospects of this quickly-evolving multidisciplinary field.

The major focus areas will range from newly designed methods of chemical synthesis, characterization, and structure determination of carbon-rich molecules and carbon-based materials to measurements of their functional properties and investigations into their potential practical applications. The types of carbon-rich molecules include (but are not limited to) π-bowls and π-baskets, carbon nanohoops, nanobelts and short segments of carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, graphene, graphene nanoribbons, and full-length nanotubes. This forum is designed to promote excellence in research and education and to facilitate the interchange of new information among a broad community of scientists.

Join the conference LinkedIn group to keep up to date with announcements and latest news concerning the conference.

Student Offer

Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for students! Register an academic at the earlybird rate of $1,823 and bring a student for only $850. Unfortunately, Postdocs are not eligible. Both registration packages include; accommodation for the 07, 08, 09 June 2018 (on a shared basis for students) and a 24hour all-inclusive food and beverage package for the conference period. Once registered, please contact Meredith Willmott (Meredith@fusion-conferences.com) to obtain a special registration link for your student.

Confirmed Plenary Speakers

Luis Echegoyen (University of Texas-El Paso)
BUCKYBALL MARACAS: NEW ENDOHEDRAL FULLERENE STRUCTURES, REACTIVITY AND MECHANISTIC ASPECTS

Miguel Garcia-Garibay (University of California, Los Angeles)
AMPHIDYNAMIC MATERIALS AS MOLECULAR MACHINES: DIPOLAR ARRAYS AND MESOSCALE ARCHITECTURES

Mark Hersam (Northwestern University)
SURFACE AND INTERFACE ENGINEERING OF VAN DER WAALS HETEROSTRUCTURES

Kenichiro Itami (Nagoya University)
EXPLORING MOLECULAR NANOCARBON SCIENCE

Colin Nuckolls (Columbia University)
TWISTACENES, HELICENES, AND MACROCYCLES AS OPTOELECTRONIC MATERIALS

Confirmed Invited Speakers 

Valentine Ananikov (Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry)

Igor Alabugin (Florida State University)
ALKYNE ORIGAMI: FOLDING OLIGOALKYNES INTO POLYAROMATICS 

Graham Bodwell (Memorial University of Newfoundland)
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A BRIDGE-EATING STRATEGY FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF SMALL, STRAINED CYCLOPHANES

Wesley Chalifoux (University of Nevada)
ALKYNE BENZANNULATIONS TO ACCESS A BROAD SCOPE OF LARGE NANOGRAPHENE STRUCTURES

Juan Casado (University of Málaga)
OLIGORYLENE NANOGRAPHENES AND X-SHAPE MULTIRADICALOID MOLECULES: STRUCTURAL INSIGHTS FROM RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY

Max von Delius (University of Ulm)
UNLEASHING THE SUPRAMOLECULAR POTENTIAL OF [10]CYCLOPARAPHENYLENE

Roman Fasel (EMPA)
ON-SURFACE SYNTHESIS OF GRAPHENE NANORIBBONS: FROM MOLECULES TO DEVICES

Felix Fischer (University of California, Berkeley)
BAND ENGINEERING AND QUANTUM CONFINEMENT EFFECTS IN GRAPHENE NANORIBBONS

Aiko Fukazawa (Nagoya University)
EXPLORING NEW SULFUR-CONTAINING pi-SKELETONS FOR FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS

Nancy Goroff (Stony Brook University)

Daniel Gryko (Institute of Organic Chemistry)
PYRROLO[3,2-B]PYRROLES – ELECTRON-RICH FUNCTIONAL HETEROCYCLES

Malika Jeffries-EL (Boston University)
CROSS-CONJUGATED ORGANIC SEMICONDUCTORS - THE REMIX

Qian Miao (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
TOWARD NEGATIVELY CURVED CARBONS

Katherine Mirica (Dartmouth College)
POROUS SCAFFOLDS FOR ELECTRONICALLY-TRANSDUCED CHEMICAL SENSING AND CAPTURE

Jean-François Morin (Université Laval)
MECHANOCHEMICAL FORMATION OF BIRADICALS IN ANTHANTHRONE DERIVATIVES

Jean-François Nierengarten (University of Strasbourg)
MECHANOCHEMICAL FORMATION OF BIRADICALS IN ANTHANTHRONE DERIVATIVES

Henrik Ottosson (Uppsala University)
RELATING THE TRIPLET STATE BAIRD AROMATICITY OF THE MACROCYCLE TO THAT OF THE MONOCYCLE

Kyle Plunkett (Southern Illinois University)
CONJUGATED POLYMERS VIA CYCLOPENTANNULATION STRATEGIES

Shu Seki (Kyoto University)
CARBON-BASED ELECTRONIC MATERIALS AND INTERFACES: NON-CONTACT APPROACH

Natalia Shustova (University of South Carolina)
GRAPHITIC WELL-DEFINED MATERIALS

Ivo Starý (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry)
HELICALLY CHIRAL AROMATICS: TOWARDS FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS AT NANOSCALE

J. D. Tovar (Johns Hopkins University)
PHOTON MANAGEMENT IN PI-CONJUGATED PEPTIDIC SUPRAMOLECULAR POLYMERS

Rik Tykwinski (University of Alberta)
ACENE OLIGOMERS TO STUDY THE MECHANISM OF SINGLET FISSION

Latha Venkataraman (Columbia University)
ELECTRON TRANSPORT IN SINGLE-MOLECULE CIRCUITS

Yan Xia (Stanford University)
STREAMLINED SYNTHESIS OF POLYCYCLIC CONJUGATED HYDROCARBONS CONTAINING ANTIAROMATIC CYCLOBUTADIENOIDS AND TUNING OF THEIR PARATROPICITY

Haiping Xia (Xiamen University)
CARBOLONG CHEMISTRY: TOWARDS UNPRESEDENTED Π-CONJUGATED SYSTEMS

Alex V. Zabula (University of Pennsylvania)
MULTI-ELECTRON CHARGING OF CORANNULENE: STRUCTURAL STUDIES