Porphyrins are an important class of materials due to their high chemical stabilities and flexibllity of synthesis. We have used these aspects to prepare persistently porous porphyrin derivatives with strong selective and sensitive responses for acetone (an important analyte in diabetes diagnosis) in conjunction with a nanomechanical sensor. This easy-to-prepare (by simple drop-casting - see left) molecule-based device can be used for field testing with high sensitivity. Similar molecules, such as the fuchsonarenes, can be adapted for efficient singlet oxygen generation for applications in photodynamic therapy of cancers.

The pyrazinacenes are highly nitrogen-containing analogues of pentacene, which is a widely-studied organic semiconductor. In contrast to pentacene, pyrazinacenes are highly stable, and their optical absorption and fluorescence properties can be modulated by varying their molecular structures (see figure at right). In this work, molecules suitable for uses in organic solar cells or as fluorescent dyes have been prepared and are superior to the materials currently in use in those applications.