This project will exploit novel recent developments in aluminium chemistry – notably the development of nucleophilic aluminium reagents – to synthesize a range of molecular species containing M-Al bonds. The controlled generation of M/Al alloys via thermolytic routes will then be investigated, their composition assessed via a range of techniques including atom probe tomography, and the electrochemical/catalytic performance of these materials examined.

Links:
Nucleophilic aluminyl anions

Aldridge group
Moody group

For further details please contact Professor Simon Aldridge

This project targets the synthesis of extended one-dimensional arrays of tin/germanium atoms from hydride precursors via a bottom-up approach. The sequential oxidative addition of M-H bonds at the low-valent M termini of the growing chains will be templated to produce linear/cyclic systems. Characterization will rely heavily on crystallographic techniques (including both X-ray and neutron diffraction).

Links:
Aldridge group

For further details please contact Professor Simon Aldridge

Porphyrin-based molecular wires mediate efficient charge transport. Recently, we demonstrated that the 4– and 6– states of a 6-porphyrin nanoring are globally antiaromatic and aromatic, respectively. This project aims to characterise negatively doped molecular wires, radical anions and polyanions, by single-crystal X-ray analysis, NMR spectroscopy, EPR spectroscopy and SQUID magnetometry.

Links:
Aromaticity and antiaromaticity in porphyrin nanoring anions
Electronic delocalization in porphyrin oligomer molecular wires

For further details please contact Professor Harry Anderson

This project aims to combine the unique three-dimensional topological host cavities of mechanically interlocked structures (rotaxanes and catenanes) with the long-lived luminescence properties of lanthanides to produce highly sensitive optical probes with the capability of sensing guest species of biological, medical and environmental importance.

Links:
Rotaxanes
Lanthanide rotaxanes

For further details please contact Professor Paul Beer

Superconductors are key technological materials. Some of the new class of iron-based superconductors have promising technological properties, and this synthesis-driven project will exploit chemical tuning through substitution and intercalation chemistry to optimise the superconducting properties and understand the chemical and structural factors that control the properties using a wide range of physical techniques.

Links:
Soft chemical control of superconductivity
Imaging properties of superconductors
Bulk superconductors

For further details please contact Professor Simon Clarke

Li-ion batteries for mobile power applications are set to increase in importance; cobalt has been a key element in the cathode materials derived from LiCoO2, but it is rare and is mined in politically unstable regions. In this project new Li-ion battery cathode materials to deliver high capacity, high voltage and high power without the use of Co will be targeted using ingenious multi-step chemical syntheses.

Links:
Oxysulfides in Li-ion batteries
MO₄ coordination sites

For further details please contact Professor Simon Clarke and/or Professor Michael Hayward

Production of zero-carbon fuels from air, water and intermittent renewable energy. This project involves the development of a combination of ammonia catalysts and sorbents for improving the Haber Bosch process.

Links:
Novel ammonia decomposition catalysts
The impact of renewable energy intermittency on green ammonia
The Green Ammonia Demonstrator at Harwell


For further details please contact Professor Bill David

This project will combine the synthesis of lanthanide macrocycles and nanoparticles, including those which are lipophilic, with microbubble generation. The focus will initially be magnetic resonance and luminescence and ultrasound imaging characteristics and will involve significant use NMR, DLS and ultrasonic characterisation.

Links:
Davis group
Faulkner group
Drugdelivery.org

For further details please contact Professor Jason Davis

In this project we will search for, and subsequently synthesise, novel molybdenum chalcogenide materials. We will use a machine learning (ML) driven approach for accelerated structure prediction and atomistic modelling, which promises access to accurate, fast, and predictive computer simulations. The results will then inform targeted syntheses in the laboratory, as well as detailed experimental characterisation.

Links:
Amorphous materials modelling
Data-driven exploration of structural space

For further details please contact Professor Volker Deringer

Platinum (II) compounds are currently used in 50% of chemotherapy treatments for cancer, but their lack of specificity for cancer cells can result in serious side-effects of treatment. This project involves the synthesis of novel platinum (IV) complexes, and investigates their controlled delivery and reduction to cytotoxic Pt(II) species using triggered release strategies (e.g. ultrasound, light) from both lipid- and polymer-based delivery vehicles.

Links:
Photoactivatable PtIV complexes
Platinum-based chemotherapy

For further details please contact Dr Nicola Farrer

Organometallic Pt(IV) and Au(III) complexes, particularly those stabilised with carbanions (e.g. -C≡C, C^N, N-heterocyclic carbene and N-confused porphyrins) can exhibit unique and tunable luminescence properties. This project explores the potential for controlling and utilising reduction of these classes of complexes to Au(I) and Pt(II) species respectively, for applications in both diagnostics and therapy (theranostics).

Links:
Luminescent cyclometalated Au(III) complexes
Luminescent Au(I) and Au(III) complexes
Anticancer complexes of Au, Pt and Pd

For further details please contact Dr Nicola Farrer

The aim of this project is to develop novel single-site main group complexes capable of photolytically eliminating halogen gas, and to explore the use of such compounds as potential catalysts in HX-splitting reactions (X = F–I) to afford H₂. Using a combination of experimental and computational techniques (TD-DFT), this project will explore the design and synthesis of diverse pincer ligand scaffolds equipped with photosensitizing functionalities and their use for the synthesis of geometry-constrained main group compounds.

Links:
Oxidative addition at phosphorus
Reductive elimination at phosphorus

For further details please contact Professor Jose M. Goicoechea

Our goal is to explore the incorporation of phosphorus-containing motifs (such as phosphines and phosphorines) into mechanically interlocked molecules (rotaxanes and catenanes). These strongly Lewis basic phosphorus sites will allow for the complexation of guests that are otherwise challenging to trap with conventional interlocked systems. We will also explore the use of such supramolecular architectures as frustrated Lewis pair components for the activation of small molecule substrates such as H₂ and CO₂.

Links:
PCO^– for phosphine synthesis
Interlocked molecules

For further details please contact Professor Jose M. Goicoechea

This project will focus on the rapid synthesis of metal-organic nanosheets with tuneable photochemical and photophysical properties, useful for non-invasive sensing applications. The structure-property relations underpinning the two-dimensional frameworks will be studied by near-field nanoFTIR, X-ray scattering, and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Links:
MONs
Defects

For further details please contact Professor Jin-Chong Tan

Transition-metal oxyhydrides (solids containing both O^2– and H^– anions) have novel electronic and magnetic properties and exhibit chemical behaviours with applications in catalysis and hydrogen fuel cell devices. This project aims to prepare the first oxyhydrides containing 5d transition-metals (Re, Os, Ir, Pt) as these systems are expected to have qualitatively different physical and chemical properties to lighter transition-metal analogues.

Links:
4d TM oxyhydrides
Oxyhydride properties

For further details please contact Professor Michael Hayward

This project will involve the synthesis of photo-switchable luminescent lanthanide complexes, in which the emission can be modulated in response to different wavelengths of light, for application in bio-imaging. The focus will be initially on synthesising kinetically stable lanthanide complexes with appended photo-switches, and probing their properties using a range of photo-physical techniques.

Links:
Langton group
Faulkner group

For further details please contact Dr Matthew Langton

This project will exploit metal-directed self-assembly and supramolecular design principles to develop artificial systems able to facilitate the transport of ions across lipid bilayer membranes. The research work will combine a range of synthetic methods with quantitative self-assembly studies and a range of biophysical techniques, with the goal of developing functional transporters for application in synthetic tissues.

Links:
Langton group
Bayley group

For further details please contact Dr Matthew Langton

This project will focus on understanding the mechanism behind high gas barrier nanosheets based on combined synthesis and modelling. We will aim to develop new green food packaging films to solve one of the major challenges in the circular economy.

Links:
Green packaging
Modelling

For further details please contact Professor Dermot O'Hare

This project will involve the synthesis and characterisation of new low valent, metal complexes supported by ligand sets that can facilitate metal-ligand co-operativity to access new types of reactivity. The focus will be to achieve selective small molecule activation of abundant natural feedstocks and atmospheric pollutants in order to move towards sustainable chemical synthesis.

Links:
Carbon oxygenate activation
N₂ activation

O'Hare group
McGrady group

For further details please contact Professor Dermot O'Hare

This project is concerned with synthesis, testing and characterization of single transition metal atoms and clusters on internal surfaces of 3-D zeolites and metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Rational synthesis using solution precursors for ion exchange, arc discharge and MOCVD techniques to tailor the structure and geometry in the internal surfaces of defined porous materials will be combined with advance material characterization including diffraction, electron microscopy and computation (to guide synthesis) for selected catalytic reactions.

Links:
Zeolites
X- ray powder diffraction

For further details please contact Professor Edman Tsang

This project is concerned with novel synthesis, testing and characterization of new transition metal carbides and nitrides on polar oxide (support) surfaces for green ammonia production from N₂ and H₂ at low temperature and pressure. Rational synthesis using various solid-state synthetic techniques including MOCVD to establish the bulk structures and surfaces for optimal catalysis, which will be combined with advance material characterization including diffraction, electron microscopy and computation (to guide the synthesis).

Links:
"Green" ammonia production
MoS₂ monolayer catalysis

For further details please contact Professor Edman Tsang

This project explores a completely new approach to metal nanocluster assembly via nucleation at an engineered site on the surface of a hydrogenase enzyme molecule. The research exploits directed flow of electrons from H₂ oxidation at the catalytic centre of a hydrogenase to reduce metal cations for growth of Pt, Pd, Au or Ag nanoparticles, enabling exquisitely controlled nanoparticle growth and applications in chemo-bio catalysis and photocatalysis.

Links:
Vincent group
Armstrong group

For further details please contact Professor Kylie Vincent

This project exploits carbon nanotube-lined columns for flow chemistry, and seeks to tailor these for specialised catalytic processes in fine chemical synthesis by doping of the nanotubes or immobilising chemo- or enzyme-catalysts. The project work will span Materials and Chemistry and will involve carbon nanomaterial synthesis and modification, catalysis, reaction optimisation and assessment of ‘green chemistry’ metrics.

Links:
Vincent group
Grobert group

For further details please contact Professor Kylie Vincent

This project involves developing synthetic routes to new (hetero-)bimetallic complexes containing first row transition metals and f-elements. The complexes are designed so that they provide pathways for intermetallic communication through exchange and so that the metals are spatially separated by 3-4 Å. As the project develops we will synthesize systems in which this separation and communication can be externally controlled. We will exploit both this control for applications in CO₂ activation catalysis, molecular sensing and information processing.

Links:
CO₂ activation catalysis
Luminescence of a binuclear europium complex bearing a 4-nitrophenolate chromophore: a different way of seeing pH dependence

For further details please contact Professor Charlotte Williams

This project involves the synthesis of organometallic catalysts, of earth abundant Mg(II), Fe(III) or Al(III), for Switchable Polymerization Catalysis. The polymerization process will be developed to allow mixtures of renewable resources such as CO₂, bio-derived lactones, epoxides and anhydrides to be selectively polymerized to multi-block polymers. These multi-block polymers will be studied and fine-tuned for applications as degradable thermoplastic elastomers and toughened plastics. This project will uncover the relationships between catalyst structure, activity and polymer performance which are critical to deliver future industrial manufacturing and products.

Links:
Selective polymerisation catalysis
Switchable catalysis
Switchable catalysis 2

For further details please contact Professor Charlotte Williams

There is an urgent need for greener, less energy intensive and less polluting processes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. This project will use enzyme evolution and biotransformation approaches to study systematically the activity, product scope and selectivity of designer P450 enzymes for C–H bond oxy-functionalisation of feedstocks and intermediates to develop shorter, more efficient routes to end products.

Links:
C–H activation by P450 enzymes

For further details please contact Professor Luet Wong