Mark MacLachlan

Associate Professor

Office: E322
Office Phone: (604) 822-3070
Lab(s): E413
Lab Phone(s): (604) 822-3709

FAX: (604) 822-2847
Email: mmaclach@chem.ubc.ca

Curriculum Vitae: B.Sc. (Hons.), British Columbia (1995); Ph.D., Toronto (I. Manners and G.A. Ozin, 1999); NSERC Doctoral Prize for Science and Engineering (2000); NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (T.M. Swager, 1999-2001); Faculty of Science Teaching Award (2005); Killam Prize for Teaching (2008); Alexander von Humboldt Fellow (2009-2010)

Inorganic/Organic/Materials/Supramolecular: Synthesis and characterization; conjugated metal-containing materials; molecule-based nanotubes; shape-persistent macrocycles; supramolecular chemistry; nanoporous materials; metal-organic frameworks; self-assembled structures; hydrogen storage

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Research/Teaching Interests

SUPRAMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS CHEMISTRY, INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

GROUP PHOTO July 2009. Up the tree (L to R): Pete, Mark, Alex, Jian, Jon, Kevin, Xavier (top), Samuel (middle), Hojo (bottom), Cooper, Hao, Angela, Matt. Missing: Susan, Jenn.

Our research is directed at the synthesis and characterization of novel supramolecular materials. We combine organic, inorganic, and polymer techniques to create new substances that can be further organized or assembled. The materials we make are investigated by state-of-the-art physical techniques to characterize them and to establish structure-property-function relationships.

Although chemists have focused on small molecule synthesis over the past two centuries, it is only recently that there has been a transition to prepare more complex supramolecular systems. Even more recently, the area of supramolecular materials has emerged with the promise of creating new functional solids, materials with potential to impact fields from asymmetric catalysis to electronics.

We are interested in using techniques outlined above to address some longstanding problems in materials chemistry:

1. The synthesis of molecule-based nanotubes. There has been a surge of interest in assembling molecules into nanotubes (e.g., peptides). In our work, we are building rigid, shape-persistent metallomacrocycles that can be organized into 1-D structures. These materials may be used for shape-selective catalysis, or as hosts for nanomaterials. Much of our time is spent synthesizing new macrocycles.

2. The synthesis of conjugated metal-containing polymers. We are trying to develop new electroluminescent polymers that are very stable.

3. The synthesis of new 3-D porous frameworks. We are utilizing our shape-persistent precursors to construct 3-D frameworks that have significant porosity. These materials are intended for hydrogen or methane storage.

Each student has his/her own project, but there are also collaborative projects within the group. While most projects have an end goal application in mind, we are interested in the fundamental chemistry and developing new materials. If something interesting arises in research, or if students have a new idea, they are encouraged to follow these. Many of our studies now underway are student-initiated (intentionally or often by accident).

Students in our group are trained in a wide variety of synthetic and physical methods. For example, students learn techniques of organic synthesis and purification, inorganic coordination chemistry, air-sensitive Schlenk techniques, and glovebox use. There is extensive equipment available in our lab (e.g., glovebox, synthetic equipment, fluorimeter, UV-vis/near-IR spectrometer, solvent-purification towers, polarizing optical microscope, vapour pressure osmometer, and thermal analysis equipment (TGA, DSC)), other labs at UBC (GPC, EPR, IR, Raman), and the Department / UBC Instrument Facilities (NMR spectrometry, mass spectrometry (EI, MALDI, ESI, etc.), single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, SEM, and TEM).

GROUP PHOTO April 7, 2006. Up the tree: Alfred, Ago, Xavier, Mark. Middle row (L to R): Jon, Britta, Pete, and Amanda. Sitting on the Branch (L to R): Joseph, Jian, Cindy, and Dave.

GROUP PHOTO February 11, 2005 (L to R) Bottom: Amir, Jon, Ago, Jian. Second row (and standing): Mark, Amanda, Joseph, Britta, Marc. Third row: Michael, Alfred. Top: Cecily.