Grant: Canada Excellence Research Chairs

The proposed CERC program will utilize expertise in the field of crystal engineering to develop new and innovative approaches to green chemistry and sustainable materials research. Crystal engineering offers an ability to gain control of the three-dimensional arrangement that atoms and molecules adopt in space, allowing for chemical reactions and properties of materials to be dictated with atomic precision and, thereby, equipping scientists with powerful tools to sustain and support our planet. The specific objectives over the 8-year funding period are to develop, understand, and exploit research in crystal engineering in four areas: (i) novel approaches to synthesize organic molecules in the solid state, (ii) novel methods to develop crystalline organic semiconductors and molecular solar-thermal energy materials, (iii) innovative approaches in medicine using pharmaceutical cocrystals and reactions and crystals, and (iv) accelerated efforts towards crystal engineering for green chemistry and sustainable materials design. The organic synthesis area will be highlighted by organic crystals as "green chemical laboratories" that provide novel and solvent-reduced ways to control chemical reactions and synthesize organic molecules for applications ranging from catalysis to drug development. The organic semiconductor and molecular solar-thermal energy area will apply principles of crystal engineering and solid-state reactivity to develop organic crystalline solids for applications in organic electronics (e.g. flexible electronic media) and solar-thermal energy storage (e.g. on-demand solar energy utilization). The innovative approaches to medicine thrust will focus on the development of cocrystals to improve the performances of active pharmaceutical ingredients in the form of pharmaceutical cocrystals and synthesize small molecules to be used as drugs and imaging agents (e.g. theranostics). The accelerated green chemistry and sustainable materials area will assemble concepts and preceding ideas with a goal to combine techniques and approaches with computational chemistry (e.g. machine learning) to meet green chemistry and sustain materials challenges with high throughput. The CERC program of Prof. MacGillivray is expected to have long-lasting impacts on the research community at the Université de Sherbrooke, province of Quebec, nationally, and internationally, further making Canada an innovative and world leader in green chemistry and sustainable materials research.