UC Berkeley

The development of next-generation electronic materials requires bridging the gap between molecular design and functional device performance. This dissertation addresses this grand challenge by developing modular synthetic strategies and platforms for the controlled synthesis of π-conjugated carbon-based nanomaterials, with a focus on polyphenylenes and their transformation into graphene nanoribbons. By leveraging and extending controlled catalyst-mediated polymerization techniques in combination with complementary surface-assisted cyclodehydrogenation processes, this work enables precise control over key molecular parameters, together providing a modular template for accessing atomically precise and judiciously functionalized materials through molecular design. Collectively, the arc of this dissertation demonstrates controlled synthesis of π-conjugated materials through Suzuki catalyst transfer polymerization to encode functionality into nanostructured systems. This work provides a general framework for the design of materials that can be integrated into advanced carbon-based architectures for future device applications.