Research

The central research goal in the Kinney Lab is to develop organic/inorganic hybrid architectures. Our main efforts are to incorporate rigid main group-based building blocks into complex architectures such as organic macrocycles and metallomacrocycles. Our primary system utilizes a unique class of isomeric bent heteroarenes, the naphthodithiohenes (crystal structures shown in header), where we are investigating structure-property relationships that are derived from their remote functionalization or from macrocyclization. Our second research avenue focuses on carbazole-based luminophores and their complexes. In total, we envision our discrete systems will be predisposed to function as molecular receptors/sensors, as hosts for unstable molecules, as optoelectronic materials, or as ligands for catalysis.

If you are interested in discussing these efforts in more detail, please refer to the contact tab. 

The Kinney Research Group gratefully acknowledges research support from the following sources: National Science Foundation, Michigan Space Grant Consortium, and Oakland University.

National Science Foundation, Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (NSF LEAPS-MPS), [CHE-2316854]. 12/2023 – 11/2026

Michigan Space Grant Consortium, Faculty Led Fellowship for Undergraduates. Awardee: Evan W Sadler. 5/2024 – 12/2024

Michigan Space Grant Consortium, Faculty Led Fellowship for Undergraduates. Awardee: Calvin D Goldsmith. 5/2023 – 4/2024