Michael Haley

Michael Haley is a Professor of Organic, Organometallic, & Materials Chemistry at the University of Oregon's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where he holds the Richard M. & Patricia H. Noyes Professorship. He has been at the University of Oregon since 1993 and previously served as Head of the Department from 2008-2014.

Education:

• B.A., Rice University, 1987
• Ph.D., Rice University, 1991 (W. Edward Billups)
• Postdoctoral: University of California, Berkeley, 1991-1993 (K. Peter C. Vollhardt)

Professor Haley's research spans multiple areas of organic chemistry with a focus on organic semiconductors, particularly indenofluorene and related structures. His work explores the synthesis and properties of novel conjugated systems with potential applications in electronic devices. He also investigates supramolecular chemistry of arylethynyl scaffolding for anion binding and sensing, and has developed therapeutics for Myotonic Dystrophy through collaboration with biochemists. His research group actively explores the fundamental properties of diradicaloids and antiaromatic compounds, seeking to understand structure-property relationships in these challenging systems.

Analysis of Professor Haley's recent publications reveals a strong focus on antiaromatic compounds and diradical systems, particularly s-indacenes and indenofluorenes. His work combines synthetic chemistry with computational methods to understand electronic structures and properties. Recent trends show increasing emphasis on the application of these materials in organic electronics and molecular devices, with exploration of charge transfer phenomena and conductance properties at the molecular level.

Scientific Awards:

• American Chemical Society, Division of Organic Chemistry Fellowship, 1990-1991
• NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1991-1993
• NSF CAREER Award, 1995-1998
• US-Israel BSF Ernst D. Bergmann Memorial Award, 1997
• Richard A. Bray Faculty Fellow, 1998
• Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, 1998-2003
• Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, 2000-2001
• Thomas F. Herman Faculty Achievement Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2002
• University of Oregon Fund for Faculty Members Excellence Award, 2007
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2011
• Richard M. and Patricia H. Noyes Professor of Chemistry, 2013-current
• American Chemical Society George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon or Petroleum Chemistry, 2021

Professor Haley has mentored numerous graduate and undergraduate students in his research group, with many going on to successful careers in academia and industry. His research has been generously supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, with additional contributions from the Oregon Nanosciences and Microtechnologies Institute and Oregon BEST. Current funding includes projects on "Indenofluorenes and Related Molecules" (NSF CHE-2246964) and "PN-Heterocycles and Environmental Supramolecular Chemistry" (NSF CHE-2107425).

The Haley Lab maintains active collaborations with several research groups, including the Johnson Lab for supramolecular chemistry and anion binding studies, and previously with the Berglund Lab for Myotonic Dystrophy therapeutics. The lab also organized the OpiEM3 (Organic pi-Electron Molecules and Materials Meetings) series, which connected over 40 research groups internationally to share findings on pi-electronic molecules and materials.