Michel Rickhaus is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Geneva. His research focuses on the synthesis and study of complex aromatic molecular architectures, with particular interest in non-planar, helical, and topologically unusual polyaromatic systems.
The Rickhaus Lab combines organic synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, and molecular topography to create and understand contorted aromatic structures. These molecules are designed to reveal how shape, curvature, and dynamic behaviour influence molecular assembly and function.
He received his Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of Basel and completed his Ph.D. there under Professor Marcel Mayor, working on helical polyaromatics. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford before launching his independent career at the University of Zurich with support from the Swiss National Science Foundation.
His research has contributed to the emerging field of shape-defined aromatic systems, where precise molecular design is used to explore chirality, conformational dynamics, and supramolecular organization.