Michael Mastalerz

The Mastalerz Group at Heidelberg University's Organic Chemistry Institute focuses on advanced organic synthesis and materials science. Led by Professor Michael Mastalerz, the team specializes in creating complex three-dimensional compounds like shape-persistent chiral organic cages and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with unique properties (e.g., "monkey-saddles", azulene-containing PAHs). The group's research intersects synthetic chemistry, physical organic chemistry, and materials science, emphasizing applications in chiroptical materials, gas adsorption, and optoelectronics.

• Key Projects: ERC Synergy Grant-TACY, SFB 1249, RTG 2948, Cluster of Excellence 3DMM2O
• Research Themes: Non-covalent molecular assembly, contorted PAHs, antiaromatic systems, and functional nanographenes

The lab has produced 15+ recent publications in journals like Organic Letters and Angewandte Chemie, highlighting work on:

• Chiral twisted PAH double helices (2024, Chem)
• Calix[4]nanocones for sodium/lithium purification (2025, Angewandte Chemie)
• Antiaromatic cyclooctatetraene-embedded truxene derivatives (2025, Organic Letters)
• High-surface-area organic crystals (2012, Angewandte Chemie)

Former PhD/postdoc students (Dennis Popp, Asim Swain, Anika Haidisch, Simone Ebel, Yogendra Singh) have contributed to synthetic methods like Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling and bismuth triflate-mediated olefination. The group actively collaborates internationally and participates in events like OC Lab Connect 2025.