Cao Lab
Organic materials research at a primarily undergraduate institution.
We are a synthetic organic chemistry group at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Our research focuses on the design and synthesis of electron-deficient organic materials, with interests spanning cationic electron acceptors, novel dyes and fluorophores, and organic chromophore development.
Recent News
Journey, Ryan, Kara, Baela, Healeam, and Sam show that pyromellitic dihydrazides are a hydrolytically stable upgrade to classic pyromellitic diimides — now published in Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry.
We’ve been awarded a new NSF grant to explore pyrazoloindazoles as long wavelength chromophores and emitters — excited to fund twelve students over the next three years.
Can you cram phosphonium groups onto the smallest diimides? Turns out, yes. Feven, Min Ji, Daniela, Conor, and Steven show how in Chemistry – A European Journal, complete with some striking radical chemistry.
Adam, Daniela, and Xavier expand the diimide family — their synthesis and characterization of 1,2,3,4-naphthalene and anthracene diimides is out in Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry.
Organic Syntheses, Inc. is funding two students this summer to work on cycloadditions of 3-arylmaleimides with maleimides.