Introduction
Molecules are at the heart of the INFUSION project. Of particular interest are special organic molecules that are colored in solution or in a crystalline phase. The color is the result of electronic transitions taking place in the chromophore part of the molecule under illumination by natural light. These radiations from the visible spectrum that are not absorbed define the colored perception by our eyes. Examples of molecules containing a chromophore group are: porphyryn compounds, polypyridine complexes. In view of the targeted applications, some molecules have to be selected among dozens of millions of existing organic molecules. If necessary, others will have to be designed and synthesized according to desired performances.
The attached web pages represent ball-and-stick models of a few molecules of interest, together with a short description of their structures and properties.
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The figure illustrates C70, a member of the fullerene molecules. C70 is a cage-like polyciclic molecule composed of 70 C atoms with three-fold coordination. The C-C bonds form 12 pentagons and 25 hexagons. The only isomer of C70 whose topology has non-adjacent pentagons is the one with D5h symmetry illustrated here. |