Lucas Freeman, Ph.D.

As a Ph.D. chemist, I leverage scientific expertise and an analytical approach to ensure robust protection of clients’ intellectual property.

Dr. Lucas Freeman is a technology specialist with a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry. His technical experience spans the s-, d- and p-blocks of the periodic table, with scholarly contributions in the fields of materials science, small-molecule synthesis, carbon dioxide reduction, hydrogen storage, and others.

Prior to joining Foley Hoag, Lucas earned his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in the laboratory of Prof. Robert Gilliard, Jr., authoring 12+ peer-reviewed publications along the way. His dissertation work focused on the organometallic chemistry of s-block elements supported by carbene ligands, with direct applications to energy-relevant redox processes and solid-state hydrogen storage. Lucas' undergraduate work at the College of Charleston was primarily focused on understanding the physical chemistry of organic polymers used in organic photovoltaic materials.

Since joining Foley in early 2022, Lucas has accrued a wide range of patent prosecution experience in domestic and international cases on behalf of diverse clients – from single-inventor pro bono work to large-portfolio work for Fortune 500 companies. Examples of technologies covered include:

pharmaceutical formulations and new therapeutic uses thereof
clinical trials
novel small molecules (organic and organometallic)
synthetic dyes and bioimaging molecules
polymer compositions and formulations
low carbon concretes and construction materials
CO2 capture and utilization technologies

Related Industries

Related Practices

Patent Prosecution, Strategy & Management

Education

University of Virginia, Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry, 2021
College of Charleston, B.S., Chemistry, cum laude, 2017

Publications

Freeman, L. A.; Obi, A. D.; Machost, H. R.; Molino, A.; Nichols, A. W. Dickie, D. A.; Wilson, D. J.; Machan, C. W.; and Gilliard, R. J., Jr. Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 3544-3550. Highlighted in ACS’s Chemical & Engineering News; Part of the themed collection: Celebrating 10 years of Chemical Science.
Yang, W.; Krantz, K. E.; Freeman, L. A.; Dickie, D. A.; Molino, A.; Frenking, G.; Pan, S.; Wilson, D. J. D.; Gilliard Jr., R. J., Persistent Borafluorene Radicals. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 3850-3854.
Freeman, L. A.; Walley, J. E.; Dickie D. A.; Gilliard, R. J.; Low-nuclearity magnesium hydride complexes stabilized by N-heterocyclic carbenes. Dalton Trans., 2019, 48, 17174-17178.
Freeman, L. A.; Walley, J. E.; Obi, A. D.; Wang, G.; Dickie, D. A.; Molino, A.; Wilson, D. J. D.; Gilliard, Jr. R. J. Stepwise Reduction at Magnesium and Beryllium: Cooperative Effects of Carbenes with Redox Non-Innocent α-Diimines. Inorg. Chem. 2019, 58, 10554-10568. –Forum Article as part of Special Issue: Celebrating the Year of the Periodic Table: Emerging Investigators in Inorganic Chemistry.
Lieske, L. E.;* Freeman, L. A.;* Wang, G.; Dickie, D. A.; Gilliard, Jr., R. J.; Machan, C. W., Metal-Free Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide Mediated by Cyclic(Alkyl)(Amino) Carbenes. Chem. Eur. J. 2019, 25, 6098-6101. *Equal Contribution
Freeman, L.; Miller, P.; Sapolsky, M.; Boucher, D., p-Doping Poly(3-hexylthiophene) in Solvent Mixtures. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 2018, 1800146.

Honors & Involvement

HONORS

UVA: Honorable Mention–Link Foundation Energy Fellowship, 2020
Advancement to Ph.D. Candidacy with Distinction (highest grade in UVA’s Ph.D. candidacy exam), 2019
Mary Anderson Harrison Jefferson Fellowship–Jefferson Scholars Foundation, 2019
Honorable Mention–NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, 2019

INVOLVEMENT

American Chemical Society 2015-Present

Speaking Engagements

Room Temperature Alkali Metal Reduction of Carbon Dioxide. Zoom Main Group Symposium (Hosted by Prof. Alex Spokoyny, UCLA). United States. August 27-28, 2020.
Cyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbene-Assisted Reduction of Carbon Dioxide: Crystalline Alkali Metal Clusters of Supported CO2 Radical Anions and Dianions. Main Group Chemistry Seminars Online (Hosted by Royal Society of Chemistry Interest Group – Main Group Chemistry). United Kingdom. April 22 – July 1, 2020.
Novel Synthetic Strategies Towards the Isolation of Main Group Metal Hydrides. 257th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Orlando, FL, United States, March 31-April 4, 2019. final paper number: INOR 960, Paper ID: 3113923