Staff profile

Research Interests

The McGonigal Group develops functional organic materials by exploiting our expertise in stabilized, highly substituted aromatic carbocations. Students in the group are exposed to a wide range of techniques in organic synthesis, advanced spectroscopy, organometallics, electrochemistry, and DFT modeling.

For up-to-date news, visit the McGonigal Group webpage

• Organic Chemistry
• Supramolecular Chemistry

• Catalysis and Sustainable Chemical Processes
• Physical Organic and Assembly

• 2022: Harrison-Meldola Memorial Medal:
• 2018: Molecules Young Investigator Award:

Journal Article

• Bismillah, A. N., Johnson, T. G., Hussein, B. A., Turley, A. T., Saha, P. K., Wong, H. C., Aguilar, J. A., Yufit, D. S. & McGonigal, P. R. (Published). Control of Dynamic sp3-C Stereochemistry. Nature Chemistry 15(5): 615–624.
• Saha, Promeet K., Mallick, Abhijit, Turley, Andrew T., Bismillah, Aisha N., Danos, Andrew, Monkman, Andrew P., Avestro, Alyssa-Jennifer, Yufit, Dmitry S. & McGonigal, Paul R. (2023). Rupturing aromaticity by periphery overcrowding. Nature Chemistry 15(4): 516-525.
• Klimash, A., Prlj, A., Yufit, D. S., Mallick, A., Curchod, B. F. E., McGonigal, P. R., Skabara, P. J. & Etherington, M. K. (2022). From Phosphorescence to Delayed Fluorescence in One Step: Tuning Photophysical Properties by Quaternisation of an sp2-Hybridised Nitrogen Atom. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 10(25): 9484-9491.
• Turley, A. T., Saha, P. K., Danos, A., Bismillah, A. N., Monkman, A. P., Yufit, D. S., Curchod, B. F. E., Etherington. M. K. & McGonigal, P. R. (2022). Extended Conjugation Attenuates the Quenching of Aggregation-Induced Emitters by Photocyclization Pathways. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 61(24): e202202193.
• Wang, Y., Sun, Y., Avestro, A.-J., McGonigal, P. R. & Zhang, H. (2022). Supramolecular Repair of Hydration Lubrication Surfaces. Chem 8(2): 480-493.
• Salah, L., Etherington, M. K., Shuaib, A., Danos, A., Nazeer, A. A., Ghazal, B., Prlj, A., Turley, A. T., Mallick, A., McGonigal, P. R., Curchod, B. F. E, Monkman, A. P. & Makhseed, S. (2021). Suppressing Dimer Formation by Increasing Conformational Freedom in Multi-Carbazole Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 9(1): 189-198.
• Hussein, B. A., Shakeel, Z., Turley, A. T., Bismillah, A. N., Wolfstadt, K., Pia, J., Pilkington, M., McGonigal, P. R. & Adler, M. (2020). Control of Porphyrin Planarity and Aggregation by Covalent Capping: Bissilyloxy Porphyrin Silanes. Inorganic Chemistry 59(18): 13533-13541.
• Turley, A. T., Danos, A., Prlj, A., Monkman, A. P., Curchod, B. F. E., McGonigal, P. R. & Etherington, M. K. (2020). Modulation of Charge Transfer by N-Alkylation to Control Photoluminescence Energy and Quantum Yield. Chemical Science 11(27): 6990-6995.
• Astumian, R. D., Pezzato, C., Feng, Y., Qiu, Y., McGonigal, P. R., Cheng, C. & Stoddart, J. F. (2020). Non-equilibrium thermodynamics and kinetics of synthetic molecular pumps. Materials Chemistry Frontiers
• Bismillah, AN, Chapin, BM, Hussein, BA & McGonigal, PR (2020). Shapeshifting molecules: The story so far and the shape of things to come. Chemical Science 11(2): 324-332.
• Zhang, Haoke, Zhao, Zheng, Turley, Andrew T., Wang, Lin, McGonigal, Paul R., Tu, Yujie, Li, Yuanyuan, Wang, Zhaoyu, Kwok, Ryan T. K., Lam, Jacky W. Y. & Tang, Ben Zhong (2020). Aggregate Science: From Structures to Properties. Advanced Materials 2001457.
• Zhang, Haoke, Zhao, Zheng, McGonigal, Paul R., Ye, Ruquan, Liu, Shunjie, Lam, Jacky W.Y., Kwok, Ryan T.K., Yuan, Wang Zhang, Xie, Jianping, Rogach, Andrey L. & Tang, Ben Zhong (2020). Clusterization-triggered emission: Uncommon luminescence from common materials. Materials Today 32: 275-292.
• Kukhta, N. A., Higginbotham, H. F., Matulaitis, T., Danos, A., Bismillah, A. N., Haase, N., Etherington, M. K., Yufit, D. S., McGonigal, P. R., Gražulevičius, J. V. & Monkman, A. P. (2019). Revealing Resonance Effects and Intramolecular Dipole Interactions in the Positional Isomers of Benzonitrile-Core Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials. Journal of Materials Chemistry C 7(30): 9184-9194.
• Etherington, Marc K., Kukhta, Nadzeya A., Higginbotham, Heather F., Danos, Andrew, Bismillah, Aisha N., Graves, David R., McGonigal, Paul R., Haase, Nils, Morherr, Antonia, Batsanov, Andrei S., Pflumm, Christof, Bhalla, Vandana, Bryce, Martin R. & Monkman, Andrew P. (2019). Persistent Dimer Emission in Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 123(17): 11109-11117.
• Bismillah, A. N., Sturala, J., Chapin, B. M., Yufit, D. S., Hodgkinson, P. & McGonigal, P. R. (2019). Shape-Selective Crystallisation of Fluxional Carbon Cages. Chemical Science 9(46): 8631-8636.
• Soe, W.H., Manzano, C., de Mendoza, P., McGonigal, P.R., Echavarren, A.M. & Joachim, C. (2018). Long Starphene Single Molecule NOR Boolean Logic Gate. Surface Science 678: 163-168.
• McGonigal, P. R. (2018). Multiply Threaded Rotaxanes. Supramolecular Chemistry 30(9): 782-794.
• Sturala, Jiri, Etherington, Marc K., Bismillah, Aisha N, Higginbotham, Heather F., Trewby, William J., Aguilar, Juan A., Bromley, Elizabeth H. C., Avestro, Alyssa-Jennifer, Monkman, Andrew P. & McGonigal, Paul R. (2017). Excited-State Aromatic Interactions in the Aggregation-Induced Emission of Molecular Rotors. Journal of the American Chemical Society 139(49): 17882-17889.
• Danon, J. J., Leigh, D. A., McGonigal, P. R., Ward, J. W. & Wu, J. (2016). Triply Threaded [4]Rotaxanes. Journal of the American Chemical Society 138(38): 12643-12647.
• Dorel, R. D., McGonigal, P. R. & Echavarren, A. M. (2016). Hydroacenes made easy by gold(I) catalysis. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 55(37): 11120-11123.
• Cheng, C., Cheng, T., Xiao, H., Krzyaniak, M. D., Wang, Y., McGonigal, P. R., Frasconi, M., Barnes, J. C., Fahrenbach, A. C., Wasielewski, M. R., Goddard III, W. A. & Stoddart, J. F. (2016). Influence of constitution and charge on radical pairing interactions in tris-radical tricationic complexes. Journal of the American Chemical Society 138(26): 8288-8300.
• McGonigal, P.R., Deria, P., Hod, I., Moghadam, P.Z., Avestro, A.-J., Horwitz, N.E., Gibbs-Hall, I.C., Blackburn, A.K., Chen, D., Botros, Y.Y., Wasielewski, M.R., Snurr, R.Q., Hupp, J.T., Farha, O.K. & Stoddart, J.F. (2015). Electrochemically addressable trisradical rotaxanes organized within a metal–organic framework. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(36): 11161-11168.
• Cheng, Chuyang, McGonigal, Paul R., Schneebeli, Severin T., Li, Hao, Vermeulen, Nicolaas A., Ke, Chenfeng & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2015). An artificial molecular pump. Nature Nanotechnology 10(6): 547-553.
• Hou, Xisen, Ke, Chenfeng, Bruns, Carson J., McGonigal, Paul R., Pettman, Roger B. & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2015). Tunable solid-state fluorescent materials for supramolecular encryption. Nature Communications 6: 6884.
• Ferris, Daniel P., McGonigal, Paul R., Witus, Leah S., Kawaji, Takatoshi, Algaradah, Mohammed M., Alnajadah, Ahmed R., Nassar, Majed S. & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2015). Oxime Ligation on the Surface of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles. ORGANIC LETTERS 17(9): 2146-2149.
• McGonigal, Paul R., Li, Hao, Cheng, Chuyang, Schneebeli, Severin T., Frasconi, Marco, Witus, Leah S. & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2015). Controlling association kinetics in the formation of donor-acceptor pseudorotaxanes. TETRAHEDRON LETTERS 56(23): 3591-3594.
• Cheng, C., McGonigal, P. R., Stoddart, J. F. & Astumian, R. D. (2015). Design and Synthesis of Nonequilibrium Systems. ACS Nano 9(9): 8672-8688.
• Wilson, Eleanor A., Vermeulen, Nicolaas A., McGonigal, Paul R., Avestro, Alyssa-Jennifer, Sarjeant, Amy A., Stern, Charlotte L. & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2014). Formation of a hetero[3]rotaxane by a dynamic component-swapping strategy. Chemical Communications 50(68): 9665-9668.
• Carreras, Javier, Livendahl, Madeleine, McGonigal, Paul R. & Echavarren, Antonio M. (2014). Gold(I) as an Artificial Cyclase: Short Stereodivergent Syntheses of (−)-Epiglobulol and (−)-4β,7α- and (−)-4α,7α-Aromadendranediols. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 53(19): 4896-4899.
• Barnes, Jonathan C., Frasconi, Marco, Young, Ryan M., Khdary, Nezar H., Liu, Wei-Guang, Dyar, Scott M., McGonigal, Paul R., Gibbs-Hall, Ian C., Diercks, Christian S., Sarjeant, Amy A., Stern, Charlotte L., Goddard III, William A., Wasielewski, Michael R. & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2014). Solid-State Characterization and Photoinduced Intramolecular Electron Transfer in a Nanoconfined Octacationic Homo[2]Catenane. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 136(30): 10569-10572.
• Wang, Yahui, McGonigal, Paul R., Herle, Bart, Besora, Maria & Echavarren, Antonio M. (2014). Gold(I) Carbenes by Retro-Buchner Reaction: Generation and Fate. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 136(2): 801-809.
• Wu, Yilei, Frasconi, Marco, Gardner, Daniel M., McGonigal, Paul R., Schneebeli, Severin T., Wasielewski, Michael R. & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2014). Electron Delocalization in a Rigid Cofacial Naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide) Dimer. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION 53(36): 9476-9481.
• Cheng, Chuyang, McGonigal, Paul R., Liu, Wei-Guang, Li, Hao, Vermeulen, Nicolaas A., Ke, Chenfeng, Frasconi, Marco, Stern, Charlotte L., Goddard III, William A. & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2014). Energetically Demanding transport in a Supramolecular Assembly. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 136(42): 14702-14705.
• Juricek, Michal, Barnes, Jonathan C., Strutt, Nathan L., Vermeulen, Nicolaas A., Ghooray, Kala C., Dale, Edward J., McGonigal, Paul R., Blackburn, Anthea K., Avestro, Alyssa-Jennifer & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2014). An ExBox [2] catenane. CHEMICAL SCIENCE 5(7): 2724-2731.
• Li, Hao, Cheng, Chuyang, McGonigal, Paul R., Fahrenbach, Albert C., Frasconi, Marco, Liu, Wei-Guang, Zhu, Zhixue, Zhao, Yanli, Ke, Chenfeng, Lei, Juying, Young, Ryan M., Dyar, Scott M., Co, Dick T., Yang, Ying-Wei, Botros, Youssry Y., Goddard III, William A., Wasielewski, Michael R., Astumian, R. Dean & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2013). Relative Unidirectional Translation in an Artificial Molecular Assembly Fueled by Light. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 135(49): 18609-18620.
• McGonigal, Paul R. & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2013). INTERLOCKED MOLECULES A molecular production line. NATURE CHEMISTRY 5(4): 260-262.
• Ke, Chenfeng, Strutt, Nathan L., Li, Hao, Hou, Xisen, Hartlieb, Karel J., McGonigal, Paul R., Ma, Zhidong, Iehl, Julien, Stern, Charlotte L., Cheng, Chuyang, Zhu, Zhixue, Vermeulen, Nicolaas A., Meade, Thomas J., Botros, Youssry Y. & Stoddart, J. Fraser (2013). Pillar[5]arene as a Co-Factor in Templating Rotaxane Formation. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 135(45): 17019-17030.
• McGonigal, Paul R., de Leon, Claudia, Wang, Yahui, Homs, Anna, Solorio-Alvarado, Cesar R. & Echavarren, Antonio M. (2012). Gold for the Generation and Control of Fluxional Barbaralyl Cations. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION 51(52): 13093-13096.
• Cheng, Hei Man, Leigh, David A., Maffei, Francesca, McGonigal, Paul R., Slawin, Alexandra M. Z. & Wu, Jhenyi (2011). En Route to a Molecular Sheaf: Active Metal Template Synthesis of a [3]Rotaxane with Two Axles Threaded through One Ring. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 133(31): 12298-12303.
• Barran, Perdita E., Cole, Harriet L., Goldup, Stephen M., Leigh, David A., McGonigal, Paul R., Symes, Mark D., Wu, Jhenyi & Zengerle, Michael (2011). Active-Metal Template Synthesis of a Molecular Trefoil Knot. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION 50(51): 12280-12284.
• Goldup, Stephen M., Leigh, David A., McGonigal, Paul R., Ronaldson, Vicki E. & Slawin, Alexandra M. Z. (2010). Two Axles Threaded Using a Single Template Site: Active Metal Template Macrobicyclic [3]Rotaxanes. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 132(1): 315-320.
• Goldup, Stephen M., Leigh, David A., McBurney, Roy T., McGonigal, Paul R. & Plant, Andrew (2010). Ligand-assisted nickel-catalysed sp(3)-sp(3) homocoupling of unactivated alkyl bromides and its application to the active template synthesis of rotaxanes. CHEMICAL SCIENCE 1(3): 383-386.
• Goldup, Stephen M., Leigh, David A., Long, Tao, McGonigal, Paul R., Symes, Mark D. & Wu, Jhenyi (2009). Active Metal Template Synthesis of [2]Catenanes. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 131(43): 15924-15929.