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Accueil>laboratoire>annuaire>Jean-Pierre Launay

Jean-Pierre Launay
Center for Materials Elaboration and Structural Studies (CEMES)
CNRS, 29 rue Jeanne Marvig, 31 055 TOULOUSE Cedex, France
Phone : +33 (0) 5 62 25 78 32 ;
fax : +33 (0) 5 62 25 79 99
mail : launay@cemes.fr

Director of the CEMES, since january 2003.

Curriculum Vitae

Born 1944, in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. Then entered "Ecole Normale Supérieure de St Cloud" in 1963. Agrégation de Chimie in 1967.

Thesis in 1974 at Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI) on the Electrochemistry of Tungsten polyanions (especially metatungstate)

Assistant from 1967 at Université Pierre et Marie Curie, then Professor from 1983 to 1990.
Professor at Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, since 1990.
Also Professor at "Institut Universitaire de France" since 1998 (a special position with more time for research).

Director of the CEMES, since january 2003.


Research interests :

• Mixed valence compounds (1974 - 1983) : studies on reduced polyoxometallates or other mixed valence compounds to understand electron delocalization and electron transfer processes, both thermal and optical.

• Molecular Electronics (since 1983) : long distance electron transfer and molecular switching, using ruthenium complexes as model systems. Systematic studies were in particular performed on series of binuclear mixed valence complexes of increasing length. The intervalence electron transfer process was observed for distances up to 20 Å, and the rate of decay of the electronic interaction with distance was measured. The switching effect was demonstrated using a specially devised bimetallic system in which a photochromic part (dithienylethene) was intercalated on the electron transfer path. More recently, a new way to characterize electron transfer was used : the measurement, by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, of the electron transfer rate through a self-assembled monolayer. We also looked at the possibility to switch a photochromic system by an electrochemical process.

• Present interest :
Nanosciences, nanomachines, in particular the construction of a rotary molecular motor. This last challenge is tackled from the synthesis of ruthenium complex with a “piano stool” structure. A family of molecules has been devised, in which there is "rotor" bearing electroactive groups at the end of rigid arms, and a "stator" bearing suitable groups for grafting on an insulating surface. It is expected that the upper part would be able to rotate under the influence of a suitable excitation.
Theory of electron transfer in three-center systems, revisiting the extension of the famous Marcus-Hush model of intersecting parabolas (which is valid for a two-centers system) to the case of three centers, either three metal sites or two metals bridged by an organic link. This necessitates the correct construction of potential energy surfaces in a 3D diagram.

• Director of the CNRS "Groupement de Recherche" "Molecular Electronics", 1989-96

• Coordinator of a "Human Capital and Mobility" network of the European community "Electron and Energy Transfer in Model Systems", 1994-1998.


Recent selected papers : H factor JP Launay : 36

Three-centers models for electron transfer through a bridge. 1. Potential energy surfaces
J.-P. Launay, C. Coudret, C. Hortholary
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2007, 111, 6788.

Electrochemical remote control for dithienylethene-ferrocene switches
G. Guirado, C. Coudret, J.-P. Launay
J. Phys. Chem. C, 2007, 111, 2770.

Electron-triggered motions in technomimetic molecules
A. Carella, C. Coudret, G. Guirado, G. Rapenne, G. Vives, J.-P. Launay
Dalton Transactions, 2007, 177.

Understanding electrochromic processes initiated by dithienylcyclopentene cation-radicals
G. Guirado, C. Coudret, M. Hliwa, J.-P. Launay
J. Phys. Chem. B, 2005, 109, 17445.

Design and synthesis of the active part of a potential molecular motor
A. Carella, G. Rapenne, J.-P. Launay
New J. Chem. 2005, 29, 288

Molecular switches
J.-P. Launay, C. Coudret, C. Joachim
The Dekker Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, M. Dekker, 2004, p 2145

Crystal structure of N,N,N'N'-tetra-[(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)methyl]-para-phenylenediamine
M. Daoudi, N. Ben Larbi, D. Benjelloun, A. Kerbal, J.-P. Launay, J. Bonvoisin, J. Jaud, M. Mimouni, T. Ben-Hadda
Molecules, 2003, 8, 269

Comparing electron (de)localization in the through benzene and anthracene charge transfer
P. Karafiloglou, J.-P. Launay
Chem. Phys. 2003, 289, 231.

Molecular Wires built from Binuclear Cyclometalated Complexes
S. Fraysse, C. Coudret, J.-P. Launay
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 5880.

X-ray structure of a Ruthenium Dinuclear Complex incorporating 4,4'-bis (cyanamidophenylethynyl) benzene as a ligand, a Conjugated Bridge Two Nanometers in Length
E. Sondaz, J. Jaud, J.-P. Launay, J. Bonvoisin
Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2002, 1924.

A new redox site as an alternative to ferrocene to study electron transfer in self-assembled monolayers
C. Hortholary, F. Minc, C. Coudret, J. Bonvoisin, J.-P. Launay
Chem Comm, 2002, 1932.

Long Distance Intervalence Electron Transfer. J.-P. Launay, Chem. Soc. Rev. 2001, 30, 386.
Highly cited article : 152 quotations

Influence of Topology on the Long-Range Electron-Transfer Phenomenon.
C. Rovira, D. Ruiz-Molina, O. Elsner, J. Vidal-Gancedo, J. Bonvoisin, J.-P. Launay, J. Veciana.
Chem. Eur. J., 2001, 7, 240.

Wires based on Metal Complexes.
J.-P. Launay, C. Coudret, in vol 5 of "Electron Transfer in Chemistry", ed. by V. Balzani and A. P. de Silva, Wiley-VCH, 2001.

Some earlier frequently cited papers

Synthesis and properties of dinuclear complexes with a photochromic bridge : An intervalence electron transfer switching "ON" and "OFF".
S. Fraysse, C. Coudret, J.-P. Launay, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2000, 1581. (83 quotations)

Intervalence electron transfer in mixed valence diferrocenylpolyenes. Decay law of the metal-metal coupling with distance.
A.-C. Ribou, J.-P. Launay, M. L. Sachtleben, C. W. Spangler, Inorg. Chem. 1996, 35, 3735. (134 quotations)

Intervalence transfer in pentaammineruthenium complexes of alpha-omega-dipyridylpolyenes.
S. Woitellier, J.-P. Launay, C. W. Spangler, Inorg. Chem. 1989, 28, 758. (140 quotations)


Teaching at Paul Sabatier University

 Physical Chemistry : Atomic and molecular structure, group theory, bonding models, …
Inorganic Chemistry : Coordination Chemistry, molecular constructions
Advanced topics : Electron Transfer, Molecular Electronics

Distinctions :

Prize of the Coordination Chemistry Division of the French Chemical Society (1992)
Prize "Paul Pascal" of the French Academy of Sciences (1996)
Senior Member of "Institut Universitaire de France" since 1998 (see above)
"Chevalier des Palmes Académiques" in 2001 (a distinction for teaching activities)

Divers, Loisirs

 Skiing, mountain walking (but not walking all the time !)

Taking distance with problems : Gliding (Sailplane) See A recent flight over the Pyrénées (video)

 

 

 
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