Adrian Wolf · Chemist EN / DE

Adrian Wolf

Organic synthesis and instrumental analytics

PhD University of Strasbourg · Basel area

I earned my PhD in Strasbourg working on molecules that arrange themselves into conductive structures under light. In the lab I plan and carry out multistep syntheses and use NMR, mass spectrometry and chromatography to prove what was made.

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Portrait of Adrian Wolf
Basel areaPhD 2014
  1. 12025–26FHNW · Materials development
  2. 22019Eur. J. Org. Chem. · Cover
  3. 32015–17Postdoc · Tianjin University
  4. 42015Chem. Commun.
  5. 52015ACS Nano
  6. 62014PhD Strasbourg 2014
  7. 72010Inorg. Chem. Commun.

Signals = publications and positionsFirst author · PhD thesis

PhD thesis: Self-assembled triarylamine-based conjugates

Place and time
University of Strasbourg, 2010–2014
Supervision
Prof. Nicolas Giuseppone (Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS) and Prof. Sabine Ludwigs (University of Stuttgart)
Fellowships
IRTG/SoMaS and icFRC
AFM image: entangled fibres of triarylamine–fullerene conjugates

Fibres, white light · AFM, scale bar 2 µmDetails of Figs. 6c and 8e. Reprinted with permission from Busseron et al., ACS Nano 2015, 9, 2760–2772, doi:10.1021/nn506646m. Copyright 2015 American Chemical Society

Light-controlled self-assembly

Triarylamine–fullerene molecules that stack under light into ordered charge channels.

  • fibres or spheres, depending on the light source
  • separate channels for positive charges and electrons
  • very small energy gap (below 1.40 eV), suited to charge transport in both directions

Publication: ACS Nano 2015

Molecular muscles: extended / contracted Donortriarylamine Acceptorperylene diimide Donortriarylamine extended contracted

Two triarylamine ends: stacks into fibres under light, but only without base · Chem. Commun. 2015Triarylamine and perylene diimide: the motion changes the electrochemistry · Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2019

Schematic, redrawn. Rings slide between two stations.

Molecular muscles

[c2]daisy chain rotaxanes: two interlocked molecules that contract and extend in response to a change in pH.

  • logic gate (INHIBIT) with light and base as inputs, colour and fibre formation as outputs
  • first unsymmetrical versions with a donor and an acceptor at the ends
  • the motion changes the electrochemical properties

Publications: Chem. Commun. 2015, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2019 (cover feature)

Transition metal complexes

Synthesis, morphology and optoelectronic properties of donor–acceptor–donor metal complexes.

Unpublished

Publications

Four articles in peer-reviewed journals, two of them as first author.

  1. 2019
    Eur. J. Org. Chem.First authorCover feature

    Unsymmetrical bistable [c2]daisy chain rotaxanes which combine two types of electroactive stoppers

    Wolf, A.; Cid, J.-J.; Moulin, E.; Niess, F.; Du, G.; Goujon, A.; Busseron, E.; Ruff, A.; Ludwigs, S.; Giuseppone, N. · Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2019, 3421–3432

    A molecular muscle with two different ends: an electron donor (triarylamine) and an electron acceptor (perylene diimide). Using 1D and 2D NMR, I showed that the molecule contracts and extends in response to acid and base. Cyclic voltammetry shows that this motion changes its electrochemical properties.

    Read article (DOI)
  2. 2015
    Chem. Commun.First author

    pH and light-controlled self-assembly of bistable [c2] daisy chain rotaxanes

    Wolf, A.; Moulin, E.; Cid, J.-J.; Goujon, A.; Du, G.; Busseron, E.; Fuks, G.; Giuseppone, N. · Chem. Commun. 51, 4212–4215

    A rotaxane with triarylamine ends that works as a logic gate (INHIBIT). Only with light and without base does the solution turn green and form fibres several micrometres long. The motion within the molecule thus controls whether it self-assembles.

    Read article (DOI)
    Transmission electron microscopy: bundled fibres
    TEM: fibres after irradiation, scale bar 1000 nm.From Wolf et al., Chem. Commun. 2015, 51, 4212, CC BY 3.0, © RSC
  3. 2015
    ACS Nano

    Light-controlled morphologies of self-assembled triarylamine–fullerene conjugates

    Busseron, E.; Cid, J.-J.; Wolf, A.; Du, G.; Goujon, A.; Moulin, E.; Fuks, G.; Maaloum, M.; Polavarapu, P.; Ruff, A.; Saur, A.-K.; Ludwigs, S.; Giuseppone, N. · ACS Nano 9 (3), 2760–2772

    Triarylamine–fullerene molecules stack under light into two side-by-side channels: one for positive charges, one for electrons. White light gives long fibres, sunlight or UV light gives uniform spheres. Electrochemistry and DFT calculations show an energy gap below 1.40 eV.

    My contribution: electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry and DFT calculations.

    Read article (DOI)
    Atomic force microscopy: spheres
    AFM: spheres after irradiation with UV light, scale bar 2 µm.Detail of Fig. 8e. Reprinted with permission from Busseron et al., ACS Nano 2015, 9, 2760–2772, doi:10.1021/nn506646m. Copyright 2015 American Chemical Society
  4. 2010
    Inorg. Chem. Commun.

    A strategy for controlling charge and conformation in 2,2′-bipyridine complexes for use in photonic applications

    Constable, E. C.; Housecroft, C. E.; Neuburger, M.; Price, J.; Wolf, A.; Zampese, J. A. · Inorg. Chem. Commun. 13, 74–76

    A copper(I) complex with a hydroxylated bipyridine ligand. An internal hydrogen bond locks the ligand, and the X-ray structure shows two complexes joined by a ring of hydrogen bonds. Initial tests in dye-sensitised solar cells gave only very low efficiency.

    Read article (DOI)
    Crystal packing of the copper(I) complex with dashed hydrogen bonds and tetrabutylammonium ions shown space-filling
    Crystal packing: copper(I) complexes joined by hydrogen bonds (dashed), with tetrabutylammonium ions in between.Own rendering. Structure determination: J. A. Zampese. Structure published in Constable et al., Inorg. Chem. Commun. 2010, 13, 74.

All publications on ResearchGate

Methods

What I have used hands-on in the lab.

Synthesis

  • multistep organic synthesis, milligram to multigram
  • Schlenk techniques
  • coordination chemistry
  • crystal growth for X-ray analysis
  • drop-casting
  • spin-coating

Spectroscopy

  • 1D and 2D NMR
  • DOSY NMR
  • UV/Vis
  • fluorescence
  • FT-IR
  • MP-AES

Mass spectrometry and chromatography

  • MALDI-TOF
  • ESI-MS
  • LC-MS
  • HPLC
  • GC
  • GPC

Electrochemistry

  • cyclic voltammetry
  • in situ spectroelectrochemistry

Surfaces and morphology

  • TEM
  • SEM
  • STM
  • AFM
  • DLS
  • tensiometry
  • DSC

Computation and software

  • DFT (Gaussian)
  • MestReNova
  • TopSpin
  • OpenLab CDS
  • MassLynx
  • OriginLab
  • ChemOffice
  • Python (basics)

Career

  1. 2025–2026

    Research associate, analytics and materials development

    University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Muttenz

    Polymer coatings on membranes for better aroma retention. Textile coatings as an alternative to PFAS. Analytical services.

  2. 2020–2022

    Biomedical analyst

    Viollier AG, Allschwil

    PCR analysis of SARS-CoV-2 samples, instrument maintenance, training new staff.

  3. 2015–2017

    Postdoc

    Tianjin University, China

    Light-active surfactants, porphyrin building blocks, soluble dibenzo[a,h]phenazines. Student supervision.

  4. 2010–2014

    PhD in chemistry

    University of Strasbourg

  5. 2007–2010

    Master of Science in chemistry

    University of Basel

    Alongside: working student at Solvias (HPLC analytics) and Polyphor (compound library).

  6. 2004–2007

    Bachelor of Science in chemistry

    University of Basel

LanguagesGerman (native) · English and French (fluent)

Contact

I am looking for a position in synthesis, research and development or analytics. I am happy to send you my full CV by email.

wolf.adrian@pm.me
Send an email LinkedIn ResearchGate