Lecture invitation – Michael Londesborough

Abstract: We are interested in how the chemical modification of macropolyhedral boron hydride clusters produces changes in their physical properties, and in particular, with a regard to the interaction of these molecules with laser light. At very high excitation energies, our investigations hold relevance to the generation of boron-proton plasmas, and, at lower excitation energies, emission from electronically excited states that form the basis for an important class of light sources.  Here, our discovery that solutions of the boron hydride anti-B₁₈H₂₂ generate photostable blue laser emission stands out in its significance as the first laser borane. ^[1,2] Our current research seeks to fully understand the potential and limitations of this and other new luminescent borane molecules at a fundamental level with an aim to maximise laser efficiency and photostability. This presentation will present how these goals can be achieved by forging a comprehensive understanding of the photophysics and photochemistry of anti-B₁₈H₂₂, ^[3] and investigating the effect chemical substitutions and derivatizations have on the absorption and emission characteristics of this and related boranes. ^[4-6] Ultimately, the successful completion of these aims will further the prospects of the boranes as a novel and competitive alternative to present organic laser dyes and luminescent materials.

[1] Londesborough, M.G.S.; Hnyk, D.; Bould, J.; Serrano-Andrés, L.; Sauri, V.; Oliva, J. M.; Kubat, P.; Polivka T.; Lang, K. Inorg. Chem., 2012, 51, 1471-1479.

[2] Cerdán, L.; Braborec, J.; Garcia-Moreno, I.; Costela A.; Londesborough, M.G.S. Nature Commun., 2015, 6, 5958.

[3] Cerdán, L.; Francés-Monerris, A.; Roca-Sanjuán, D.; Bould, J.;  Dolanský, J.; Fuciman, M.;  Londesborough, M. G. S. J. of Mater. Chem. C, 2020, 8, 12806 – 12818.

[4] Londesborough, M.G.S.; Dolanský, J.; Cerdán, L.; Lang, K.; Roca-Sanjuán, D.; Francés-Monerris, A.; Kennedy, J.D. Adv Opt Mater, 2017, 5, 1600694.

[5] Londesborough, M.G.S.; Dolanský, J.; Bould, J.; Lang, K.; Kubát, P.; Roca-Sanjuán, D.; Francés-Monerris, A.; Lorenc, D. Inorg. Chem., 2019, 58, 10248-10259.

[6] Bould, J.; Lang, K.; Cerdán, L.; Roca-Sanjuán, D.; Francés-Monerris, A.; Clegg, W.;  Polívka, T.; Londesborough, M.G.S. Inorg. Chem. 2020, 59, 23, 17058–17070.