Julia Kalow

Synthetic strategies for spatial control from the molecular to macro scale

Molecular design, as enabled by synthetic organic chemistry, can be harnessed for three-dimensional spatial control in contexts ranging from selective catalysis to materials science. In this talk, I will discuss three research projects that illustrate this principle. Asymmetric catalysis is a manifestation of spatial control on the angstrom length scale. I will describe how the use of a latent HF source was key to the development of mild and selective methods for asymmetric catalytic fluorination, and how mechanistic studies elucidated the role of cooperative catalysis. In the second portion of the talk, I will describe a strategy for the synthesis of block copolymers containing pi-conjugated blocks with control over both sequence and architecture. The molecular structure of these block copolymers is translated into nanoscale self-assembly and has implications on the stimuli-responsiveness of these materials. Finally, I will discuss how the design of small-molecule surfactants can be exploited to control the morphology of complex emulsions, and the application of these emulsions in a novel platform for biosensing.