The Bröring group designs and investigates metal complexes of chelate ligands and macrocycles with unsaturated ligand backbones. Natural tetrapyrrole chromophores like heme, chlorophyll, or bilirubin serve as guiding structures. Our major focus is on finding species with special electronic features. Such compounds bear much potential for novel and interesting chemical and physical properties, as molecules and in supramolecular, bio-hybridic or polymeric aggregates, and are exploited with respect to a number of different fields of application.
The wide-ranging activities of the Bröring group are included in many cross-disciplinary collaborations. In addition to the classical molecular chemical synthesis, the group is particularly active in the preparation of various molecule-based materials, as well as in the biological and biochemical protein synthesis and modification. For a functional characterization of the new compound the group focusses on methods beyond standard analysis and structure research, particularly regarding electronic structure, magnetism, redox properties and luminescence. In-depths studies of theoretical, biological, pharmaceutical, catalytic, electrochemical or photo-physical issues as well as of the behaviour in thin layers and on surfaces are carried out in close cooperation with relevant partners.
The synthetic activities of the group can be divided into four areas: