EMS Group
Overview
Research group description
The nature of the elements and functional groups determine the functionality of a molecular compound. In extended molecular systems, molecular units are linked to allow constructive interplay between the molecular moieties or the repeating units. The intermolecular interactions open up additional possibilities for tailoring the properties of materials. Interactions between molecules can enhance the functionalities of the molecular building blocks, or they can generate completely new properties such as conductivity over the entire structure, new types of magnetic behavior, photophysical behavior, or catalytic activity. Furthermore, polymeric systems can be folded, or the repeating units can create porous materials depending on the bonding and interactions between the building blocks. The building blocks can be linked by covalent bonds or non-covalent interactions. Conventional polymeric materials, such as plastics, are examples of covalent systems. The key requirements for the non-covalent interactions are that they must be strong enough (the interaction energy should be in the order of hydrogen bonds) and have clear directional preference. The latter requirement is essential to obtain predictable structures. Several non-covalent interactions fulfill, at least to some extent, these requirements, including:
- Hydrogen bonds
- Halogen bonds
- Metallophilic interactions
- π-interactions
- C-H-metal interactions
Building functional materials from various building blocks can be seen as an extension of molecular chemistry, and it can provide new tools for materials design. Our goal is to synthesize and utilize new active materials ranging from molecular species to gels and 3D printable polymers and hybrid materials. The most important functionalities we are interested in include:
- Catalytic activity and selectivity
- Conductivity/photoconductivity/electrochemical properties
- Photophysical properties (absorption, emission, photocatalysis)
- Optical properties (especially NLO properties)
- Sorption properties
Our research topics:
- New functional 3D printing materials
- Building adsorbents to capture organic or inorganic compounds from aqueous environment or air
- Building porous conductive materials
- Preparation of functional MOFs for capturing molecular compounds
- Metallogels
- Synthesis of organometallic compounds, especially carbonyl compounds
- Possibilities to anchor and protect metal nanoparticles and molecular compounds in/on inorganic or organic supports
3D printing
3D printing provides a powerful tool for utilizing the new materials. Our goal is to develop chemically active 3D printing materials. Using chemically active printing materials makes it possible to fabricate multifunctional objects, where the object's physical properties can be combined with the chemical activity of the material. We have developed filters for capturing metal ions or organic molecules from different fluids, liquids, or gases in this field. Such filters have been and can be utilized to recover or remove metal ions or chemical compounds, for example, from an aqueous environment. Other applications in the field of 3D printing have been printed electrodes for electrochemical applications, printed catalysts, and optically active lenses. Especially hybrid materials have proved to be useful in 3D printing. It is possible, for example, to use mixtures of metals, metal oxides, molecular compounds, or conductive materials with polymeric matrices to build multifunctional objects.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), metallogels and metallopolymer materials
The goal here is to utilize the well-defined extended structures with new or enhanced chemical functionalities. In the field of MOFs, we are aiming at properties such as the ability to capture metal ions or molecular compounds or improved catalytic activity. By using extended structures, we also aim to produce new conductive materials and catalytically active compounds. Mixing MOFs or other stable functional materials with a suitable polymeric matrix makes it possible to fabricate new types of end-user objects by 3D printing.
Protecting metal nanoparticles and sensitive metal compounds
Our aim is to protect sensitive materials by utilizing encapsulation techniques. The sensitive moieties, such as metal nanoparticles or molecular catalysts, can be capsulated in an inorganic or polymeric matrix. Protect sensitive materials by utilizing encapsulation techniques. The sensitive moieties, such as metal nanoparticles or molecular catalysts, can be capsulated in an inorganic matrix or a polymeric matrix.
Carbon monoxide-releasing molecules
IIn organometallic chemistry, we are focusing especially on metal carbonyls. One of the key applications we are interested in is CO-releasing molecules (CORMs). Our focus is on ruthenium compounds, attempts to improve the solubility of the CORM molecules, and controlling the CO-releasing rate.
Utilizing recyclec polymers
PlastLIFE is a consortium project that aims to remove the harmful impacts of plastics on our environment. It covers different aspects of using plastics, from recycling to chemical analytics. and to find possible processes where the recovered materials could be used as potential raw material sources.
Related projects
Selected Publications
Frimodig, J., Autio, A., Lahtinen, E., and Haukka, M. ”Recovery of 17 beta-Estradiol Using 3D Printed Polyamide-12 Scavengers” 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, in press, https://dx.doi.org/10.1089/3dp.2021.0063.
Bulatov, E., Lahtinen, E., Kivijärvi, L., Hey-Hawkins, E., and Haukka M. ”3D Printed Palladium Catalyst for Suzuki‐Miyaura Cross‐coupling Reactions” ChemCatChem 2020,12, 1-9, https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cctc.202000806.
Lahtinen, E., Hänninen, M.M., Kinnunen, K., Tuononen, H.M., Väisänen, A., Rissanen, K., and Haukka, M. ”Porous 3D Printed Scavenger Filters for Selective Recovery of Precious Metals from Electronic Waste” Adv.Sus.Sys. 2018, 2, 180048, https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adsu.201800048.
Lahtinen, E., Precker, R.L.M., Lahtinen, M., Hey-Hawkins, E., and Haukka, M. ”Selective Laser Sintering of Metal-Organic Frameworks: Production of Highly Porous Filters by 3D Printing onto a Polymeric Matrix” ChemPlusChem 2019, 84, 222-225, https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cplu.201900081.
Kukkonen, E., Lahtinen, E., Myllyperkiö, P., Konu, J., and Haukka, M. ”Three-Dimensional Printing of Nonlinear Optical Lenses” ACS Omega 2018, 3, 11558-11561, https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.8b01659.
Lahtinen, E., Kukkonen, E., Jokivartio, J., Parkkonen, J., Virkajarvi, J., Kivijärvi, L., Ahlskog, M., and Haukka, M. ”Preparation of Highly Porous Carbonous Electrodes by Selective Laser Sintering” ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2019, 2, 1314-1318, https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.8b01881.
Bulatova, M., Tatikonda, R., Hirva, P., Bulatov, E., Sievänen, E., and Haukka, M. “Controlling the crystal growth of potassium iodide with a 1,1'-bis(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-2,2'-biimidazole ligand (L) - formation of a linear [K4I4L4]n polymer with cubic [K4I4] core units” CrystEngComm 2018, 20, 3631-3633, https://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c8ce00483h.
Ding, X., Tuikka, M., and Haukka M. “A Novel Halogen Bond Acceptor: 1-(4-Pyridyl)-4-Thiopyridine (PTP) Zwitterion” Crystals 2020, 10, 165, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2017.06.016.
Kolari, K., Bulatov, E., Tatikonda, R., Bertula, K., Kalenius, E., Nonappa, and Haukka, M “Self-healing, luminescent metallogelation driven by synergistic metallophilic and fluorine-fluorine interactions” Soft Matter 2020, 16, 2795-2802, https://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9sm02186h.
Tatikonda, R., Bulatov, E., Ozdemir, Z., Nonappa, and Haukka, Matti ”Infinite coordination polymer networks: metallogelation of aminopyridine conjugates and in situ silver nanoparticle formation” Soft Matter, 2019, 15, 442-451, https://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C8SM02006J.
