Organic Semiconductor Synthesis for Quantum Materials

About the Project

About the project

Synthetic organic chemistry gives us extraordinary control over molecular structure. We can precisely tune how molecules absorb light, transfer energy, and stabilise reactive states. These same principles underpin a rapidly emerging frontier: molecular quantum bits (qubits). Qubits are the fundamental units of quantum computers — machines that exploit quantum mechanics to solve problems entirely beyond the reach of conventional computing, from simulating new medicines to breaking encryption. Organic dye molecules are now serious candidates for qubits Nature 620, 538–544 (2023), because their electronic and spin properties (which make a qubit work) are directly programmable through synthetic design.

While organic molecules are the next frontier for quantum information science, we are currently limited by "one-at-a-time" synthesis. This project aims to break that bottleneck. We are seeking a Synthetic Organic Chemist to develop a transformative library platform that translate the throughput of modern drug-library synthesis to spin-optical molecules.

Drawing on the logic of medicinal chemistry to map structure-function, you will:

1. Design and execute the synthesis of novel organic dye "warheads”
2. Synthetically expand their aromatic systems through combinatorial Suzuki and sp2-sp³ photoredox cross-couplings – rapidly building molecular diversity
3. Harness high-throughput screening to map the properties of some of the first molecularly defined organic qubits

The outcome of this work is twofold: a dramatically expedited discovery pipeline for functional organic materials, and the development of some of the first molecularly defined organic qubits. You will become a synthetic chemist fluent in molecular synthesis and combinatorial screening most often seen in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.

About the Team

The Excitonics and Photochemistry (ExP) Lab at Durham combines synthetic organic chemistry, DNA nanotechnology, and photochemistry to harness biology's potential for materials discovery. By programming DNA to assemble organic semiconductors with nm precision, we accelerate discovery compared to traditional methods. We welcome researchers from chemistry, physics, and biology. Find out more at www.explab.co.uk.

Entry Requirements

A UK home student with a 2:1 (or international equivalent) in Chemistry. No prior experience with DNA nanotechnology or biochemistry is required.

Informal enquiries are warmly welcomed, contact Dr Jeffrey Gorman at jeffrey.e.gorman@durham.ac.uk. Formal applications should include a CV and a cover letter outlining your interest in the project and relevant experience.

References

J. Gorman, JACS (2026), ASAP: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jacs.5c21113
J. Gorman, Chem (2025), 10, 1553–1575: https://www.cell.com/chem/fulltext/S2451-9294(24)00116-5
S. Orsborne, J. Gorman (2023), 145, 5431–5438: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jacs.2c13743