Research Emphasis:
Supramolecular chemistry, organic chemistry, solid-state chemistry, self-assembly, materials
Research Overview:
The Hutchins Group focuses on designing and synthesizing materials by using supramolecular chemistry strategies to achieve desirable properties.
Theme 1: Stimuli-Responsive Organic Solid-State Materials
Molecular recognition is the occurrence of a specific interaction between at least two molecules via noncovalent interactions such as hydrogen bonds, halogen bonds, or metal coordination. The high specificity and inherent reversibility of noncovalent interactions makes molecular recognition a powerful tool in constructing materials that exhibit dynamic properties. We focus on addressing the self-assembly of individual organic molecules into multi-component solids (e.g. salts, cocrystals, networks) with control over the intermolecular interactions that sustain the solid in multiple dimensions. We aim to develop correlations between structure and resulting properties, while also investigating the response of solids to external stimuli including temperature, light, and mechanical force.
Theme 2: Understanding and Improving Properties of Pharmaceuticals
Our group takes a multifaceted approach toward addressing the structure-function relationship in pharmaceuticals by using cocrystallization, mechanochemistry, and structural analysis as strategies for controlling and tuning behaviors of drug molecules. Crystallization and structural determination are exceptionally important aspects of chemical synthesis, biochemistry, and pharmaceutics. While many compounds can be crystallized through standard techniques, some compounds such as oils, chiral compounds, and natural products are difficult to crystallize. Two additional challenges that arise when developing drug molecules include polymorphism and poor physicochemical properties (e.g., aqueous solubility, thermal stability). Polymorphism is the ability of a compound to exist in more than one form or crystal structure, and polymorphs often exhibit different properties. Poor aqueous solubility impacts bioavailability and causes many drugs to be rejected during discovery. We aim to enhance our understanding of the crystallization process, develop novel strategies for synthesizing pharmaceutical solids with improved treatment efficacy, and address fundamental challenges in controlling drug polymorphism.
Theme 3: Materials that Capture Valuable Resources
Our research develops supramolecular and polymeric materials that are designed to engage in noncovalent interactions with a metal or resource we would like to capture. The project focuses on a shift in strategy, from one that relies on nonspecific adsorption to one that constructs materials designed to bind compounds through specific interactions. Currently, our group engages in collaborative work aimed at binding and separation of rare-earth elements.
See group website for full list.
G. C. George III, J. D. Loya, D. S. Botes, and K. M. Hutchins, “Reversible Thermosalience as a Result of Cooperative Bond and Molecular Rotations in a Multicomponent Hydrogen-Bonded Solid,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 25035–25042.
L. Ma, G. C. George III, S. P. Kelley, and K. M. Hutchins, “Programmable Solid-State [2+2] Photocycloadditions of Dienes Directed by Structural Control and Wavelength Selection,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 18249-18256.
G. C. George III, L. Ma, J. R. Gaffney, R. K. Brooks, D. K. Unruh, R. H. Groeneman, and K. M. Hutchins, “Tuning thermomechanical properties of hydrogen-bonded materials by using a mixed cocrystal approach,” J. Mater. Chem. C 2025,13, 7918-7923.
Juneja, G. C. George III, and K. M. Hutchins, “Simultaneous Cycloadditions in the Solid State via Supramolecular Assembly,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202415567. (Hot Paper)
D. S. Botes, J. D. Loya, M. Ghahremani, B. B. Newham, M. I. Aleman, G. C. George III, D. K. Unruh, and K. M. Hutchins, “Efficient mechanochemistry of beta blockers: neutralization, salification, and effect of liquid additives,” RSC Mechanochem. 2024, 1, 492-503.
G. C. George III, S. J. Kruse, Tori Z. Forbes, and K. M. Hutchins, “Off-the-shelf thermosalience of anthracene-9-thiocarboxamide,” ChemCommun. 2024, 60, 7697-7700. (Back Cover)
B. Tahmouresilerd, J. Qiu, G. C. George III, V. Woh, M. Andrews, S. Moaven, D. K. Unruh, K. M. Hutchins, and A. F. Cozzolino, “Combining Molecular Motion with a 2,6-Diiodo BODIPY to Engineer Highly Anisotropic Thermomechanical Properties in Organic Binary and Ternary Molecular Materials,” Cryst. Growth Des. 2024, 24, 2864-2872.
G. C. George III, M. Karimi, N. Juneja, D. K. Unruh, R. H. Groeneman, and K. M. Hutchins, “Polymorphism and π Stacking Affect Thermal Expansion Behavior in Halogen-Bonded Cocrystals Based on 1,4-Diiodoperchlorobenzene,” Cryst. Growth Des. 2024, 24, 2468-2474.
G. C. George III and K. M. Hutchins, “Solid-State [4+4] Cycloaddition and Cycloreversion with Use of Unpaired Hydrogen-Bond Donors to Achieve Solvatomorphism and Stabilization,” Chem. Eur. J. 2023, 29, e202302482.
N. Juneja, D. K. Unruh, and K. M. Hutchins, “Engineering Colossal Anisotropic Thermal Expansion into Organic Materials through Dimensionality Control,” Chem. Mater. 2023, 35, 7292-7300.
X. Ding, D. K. Unruh, L. Ma, E. J. van Aalst, E. W. Reinheimer, B. J. Wylie, and K. M. Hutchins, “Colossal Anisotropic Thermal Expansion in a Diazo-Functionalized Compound with Switchable Solid-State Behavior,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202306198.
L. Ma, Q. Zheng, D. K. Unruh, and K. M. Hutchins, “Reversible interconversion of pharmaceutical salt polymorphs facilitated by mechanical methods,” Chem. Commun. 2023, 59, 7779-7782.
N. Juneja, D. K. Unruh, G. C. George III, and K. M. Hutchins, “Impact of Torsional and Conformational Flexibility on Pedal Motion and Thermal Expansion in Pyridyl Bisimine Cocrystals,” Cryst. Growth Des. 2023, 23, 524-531.
L. Ma, J. D. Loya, M. Findlater, and K. M. Hutchins, “Improved Syntheses of 4’-Vinylbenzo-3n-Crown-n Ethers (n = 5-7),” J. Org Chem. 2022, 87, 14953-14956.
G. C. George III, D. K. Unruh, and K. M. Hutchins, “Use of a Diels-Alder reaction to modify thermal expansion properties in charge-transfer cocrystals,” CrystEngComm2022, 24, 7024-7028. (Back Cover)
G. C. George III, D. K. Unruh, R. H. Groeneman, and K. M. Hutchins, “Molecular Motion and Ligand Stacking Influence Thermal Expansion Behavior and Argentophilic Forces in Silver Coordination Complexes,” Cryst. Growth Des. 2022, 22, 4538-4545.
N. Juneja, N. Shapiro, D. K. Unruh, E. Bosch, R. H. Groeneman, and K. M. Hutchins, “Controlling Thermal Expansion in Supramolecular Halogen-Bonded Mixed Cocrystals Through Synthetic Feed and Dynamic Motion,” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202202708.