From Molecule to Material – Prof. Haase

We are proud to welcome Jun.-Prof. Dr. Frederik Haase,  who is leading the Junior Professorship for Bioinspired Hybrid Materials at the University of Halle since 2022. Supported by the prestigious Emmy Noether Programme, he develops new methods for synthesizing covalent materials, focusing on reticulated structures constructed from organic building blocks. By utilizing rigid building blocks with strong directional bonds, he seeks to create highly crystalline, porous, and functional materials. Current projects involve exploring frustrated assembly, conducting topochemical reactions, and investigating new synthetic routes to retain desirable properties in covalent materials.

Abstract

Our work leverages the precision and reliability of organic synthesis to design linker molecules with complex, multifunctional features. This linker-centric approach enables control over the formation and structure of reticular materials — pushing beyond well-behaved systems — toward the limits of structural control, where emergent behaviors can be observed. In this talk, I will highlight two complementary lines of research:

1. The development of hyperfunctional linkers for the topochemical construction of covalently bonded frameworks from MOFs, including serendipitous findings where steric demand directs the formation of highly unusual COF structures;
2. The design and synthesis of linkers with five-fold symmetry to intentionally introduce geometric frustration into MOF and COF architectures, and how this frustration is expressed structurally within the resulting materials.

Together, these efforts aim to bridge molecular-level synthetic design with the complex assembly processes that govern advanced framework materials.

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