MOLECULAR CRYSTAL LABORATORY

Research Activities

Fields of Activity:

-synthesis and physical properties of low-dimensional organic conductors
-fullerenes and fullerides; their synthesis, characterisation and study of physical properties
-molecular spectroscopy (IR - NIR - VIS -UV); in particular microreflectance in the polarized light from single crystals
-physical properties and phase transitions in molecular conductors
-electronic structure and physical properties of disordered and mesoscopic systems
-electrical transport properties of organic conductors
-bases of molecular electronics

Research programme:

       Molecular Crystals Laboratory is engaged in the complex study of new synthetic metals, organic superconductors, low-dimensional conducting systems, fullerenes, their complexes and other derivatives. The speciality of the laboratory is the use of infrared microreflection spectroscopy of polarized light, at temperatures between 5K and 300K, to study molecular conductors. Other experimental techniques in use: reflection and absorption UV-VIS-NIR-IR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy of submilimeter crystals, electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power measurements. Theoretical studies of disordered systems of mesoscopic size; conductance in magnetic field, conductance fluctuations and electron localization.

Main problems under investigation:

-spectral studies of conducting ion-radical salts, charge transfer complexes and various derivatives of fullerenes
-experimental and theoretical studies of electron - molecular vibration couplings
-theoretical study of electronic transport in disordered and mesoscopic systems
-study of correlated electron models, their ground state and phase transitions
-phase transitions in low- dimensional crystals and fullerene complexes
-characterization and investigation of physical properties of low-dimensional organic conductors and fullerene complexes
-specific interactions in low-dimensional molecular solids
-preparation of selected ion-radical salts, charge transfer complexes in particular based on C₆₀

Scientific Co-operation:

-Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russia
-A.F.Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
-Institute of Natural Sciences, Perm State University, Perm, Russia
-Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
-University of Angers, Angers, France
-University Montpellier II, Montpellier, France
-University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France
-University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
-Institute of Semiconductors, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine
-Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, CNRS, Pessac, France
-Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
-Equipe Precurseures et Materiaux, LCC/CNRS, Toulouse, France
-University of Rennes I, Rennes, France
-Centro de Fisica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas
-Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Tallinn, Estonia
-Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy, Vilnius, Lithuania
-Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, Athens, Greece
-other scientific institutes in Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, Budapest, Ekaterinburg, Saclay

Main scientific equipment:

-FT-IR spectrometer Perkin-Elmer 1725X with IR microscope
-IR-FT Spectrometer Bruker EQUINOX 55
-NIR-VIS-UV Spectrometer Perkin Elmer Lambda 19
-electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power apparatus (home made)
-EPR spectrometer Radiopan SE/X2543 (X band)
-helium cryostats for spectral and electical measurements