Intern
THE LEHMANN GROUP: ORGANIC SOFT MATERIALS AND LIQUID CRYSTALS

PhD Students

Fathimath Nafla Cholamukath

Institut für Organische Chemie

Am Hubland

97074 Würzburg

Phone: +49 931 31 80526

Email: fathimath.nafla@uni-wuerzburg.de

 

Fathimath Nafla completed her Master’s degree at the Central University of Punjab, India, in 2024. She wrote her Master’s thesis, "Transition metal-free efficient synthesis of bis(indolyl)propynes (BIPs)" at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, India under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Virender Singh. For her PhD thesis, she is funded by the "International Research Training Group 2991" and started her PhD in the Lehmann research group in January 2025.

Current Research Topic

Synthesis and investigations of chiral, shape-persistent C3-symmetric star mesogens with fluorophore guests for CPL emission.

Publication: “Transition metal-free efficient synthesis of bis(indolyl)propynes (BIPs)”, Anjali Chaturvedi, Vishal Sharma, Fathimath Nafla CM,  Katikam SivaPrasad, Deepak Sharma, Nikhil Kumar, Rushal Chandel, Manpreet Singh, Ravindra K. Rawal and Virender Singh, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2024,22, 7039-7051, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/D4OB01017E

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Leonard Fink

Institut für Organische Chemie

Am Hubland

97074 Würzburg

Phone: +49 931 31 83101

Email: leonard.fink@uni-wuerzburg.de

 

Leonard Fink studied chemistry (Bachelor and Master) at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg from October 2017 to December 2022. He wrote his Master thesis "Synthese BTBT-substituierter Phthalocyanine mit Siloxan-Peripherie als organische Halbleitermaterialien" at the Institute of Organic Chemistry in the working group of Prof. Dr. Lehmann.

For his PhD thesis he is funded by the "Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes".

Current Research Topic

Phthalocyanine based star mesogens with BTBT arms and peripheral siloxane moieties.

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Ron Gary

Institut für Organische Chemie

Am Hubland

97074 Würzburg

Phone: +49 931 31 83101

Email: ron.gary@uni-wuerzburg.de

 

ASAP

Current Research Topic

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Martin Jungmann

Institut für Organische Chemie

Am Hubland

97074 Würzburg

Phone: +49 931 31 80267

Email: martin.jungmann@uni-wuerzburg.de

 

Martin Jungmann studied chemistry (Bachelor's and Master's Degree) at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg from October 2019 to March 2026. He wrote his master's thesis "Salze und Ionische Flüssigkeiten von Bis(chlorosulfonyl)amid- und Bis(cyanosulfonyl)amid Anionen" at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry in the working group of Prof. Dr. Maik Finze.

Current Research Topic

Anionic borate liquid crystals with polymerizable head groups for possible application as solid-state electrolytes.

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Katja Noll

Institut für Organische Chemie

Am Hubland

97074 Würzburg

Phone: +49 931 31 888769

Email: katja.noll@uni-wuerzburg.de

 

Katja Noll studied chemistry (Master) at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg from October 2014 to February 2020. She wrote her Master thesis "Synthese und Untersuchungen von Sternmesogenen mit drei Ankergruppen zur Anbindung an Gäste und anorganische Substrate" at the Institute of Organic Chemistry in the working group of Prof. Dr. Lehmann.

For her PhD thesis she was funded by the "Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes".

Current Research Topic

Synthesis and investigations of shape-persistant C3-symmetric star mesogens with guest molecules in the free spaces.

Publications

  • "Discotic Star Mesogen with Thymine Nucleobases Exhibiting a Rare Gyroid Cubic Mesophase with 3D Conductivity" K. Noll, M. Lambov, D. P. Singh, M. Lehmann, Chemistry – A European Journal, 2023, 30, e2023033. DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303375

  • "Conference report on the 49th German Liquid Crystal Conference" S. Varytimiadou & K. Noll, Liquid Crystals Today, 2023, 32, 12–14. DOI: 10.1080/1358314X.2023.2221616

Prizes

Winning prize at the 49th German Liquid Crystal Conference 2023 for her poster with the title "Structural Control of Nucleobase Star Mesogens – Switching Bicontinuous Cubic Networks to Hexagonal Columnar Phases".

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Julian Spieß

Institut für Organische Chemie

Am Hubland

97074 Würzburg

Phone: +49 931 31 82650  

Email: julian.spiess@uni-wuerzburg.de

 

Julian Spieß first obtained a B.Sc. in Materials Science at the Technische Universität Darmstadt. From November 2020 to February 2026, he studied chemistry (B.Sc. and M.Sc.) at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. He wrote his Master’s thesis, “Synthesis strategies for C6-glycosylated nanocarriers towards crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier” in the research group of Prof. Dr. Lutz Nuhn.

Current Research Topic

Asymmetrically substituted roof-shaped mesogens towards achieving phase biaxiality.

Publications:

  • „Tuning the emission properties of luminescent 1,2,3-diazaborinates“ Leonie Wüst, Johannes Chorbacher, Timo Keim, Tim Wellnitz, Julian Spieß, Nele Wieprecht, Maximilian Michel, Holger Helten and Holger Braunschweig – Chem. Sci., 2025, 16, 15086 DOI: 10.1039/d5sc03814f
  • “Twist Grain Boundary Phases in Proper Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals Realm” Damian Pociecha, Jadwiga Szydlowska, Nataša Vaupotič, Katarzyna Kwiatkowska, Marijus Juodka, Julian Spiess, John MD Storey, Corrie T. Imrie, Rebecca Walker and Ewa Gorecka - Adv. Sci. 2025, 12, e08405 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202508405

Prizes:

His Bachelor’s degree was honored with the 2023/2024 Faculty Award in Chemistry funded by the Keck-Köppe-Förderstiftung.

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Pascal Weinberger

Institut für Organische Chemie

Am Hubland

97074 Würzburg

Phone: +49 931 31 87557

Email: pascal.weinberger@uni-wuerzburg.de

 

Pascal Weinberger studied chemistry (Bachelor's and Master's Degree) at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg from October 2015 to January 2021. He wrote his master's thesis "Systematische Untersuchung der thermotropen Eigenschaften flüssigkristalliner ionischer Cyanoborate" at the Institute of Organic Chemistry in the working group of Prof. Dr. Lehmann.

Current Research Topic

Borate anions forming ionic liquid crystals.

Publications

  • "New ionic mesogens with high ionic conductivity based on a cyanoborate building block and lipophilic or hydrophilic counter ions" M. Lehmann, P. Weinberger, M. Finze, G. A. Giffin, M. Weller, S. Bachmann, A.-C. Pöppler, J. Mater. Chem. C  2024, 12, 7233-7239. DOI: 10.1039/D4TC01045K
  • "Sulfinyl-aminotroponiminates: alkali- (Li, Na, K) and heavy-metal (Bi) complexes" A. Hanft, D. Rottschäfer, V. Müller, P. Weinberger, K. Radacki, X. Xie and C. Lichtenberg, Dalton Trans.  2022, 51, 10809-10817. DOI: 10.1039/D2DT01802K

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