Photoredox Processes and Structure of Functional Materials
The research team 
are specialists in:
i) The synthesis and structural characterisation of new solids (AMC). The main thrust in this area at present is the synthesis and characterisation of transition-metal compounds, in particular, cyanides.
ii) Use of ionothermal synthesis to generate new templated inorganic frameworks (ATR, AMC). By use of designer ionic liquids, the interdependence of framework properties and funtionalities will be controlled.
iii) The use of diffraction methods to characterise materials ranging from single crystals through polycrystalline materials to nanocrystalline materials. Techniques employed include single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, total X-ray and neutron diffraction (AMC, ACH, and MGT) and diffraction and imaging in the electron microscope (PJFH).
iv) The synthesis and characterisation of materials with novel and useful physical properties. Examples of these materials include those with negative thermal expansion (NTE) (AMC) and fluorescence properties (FH, AMC and MJC).
v) Development and application of spectroelectrochemical techniques at variable temperatures (FH): commercially successful novel cells have been developed. Numerous applications based on international collaborations.
vi) Design, photochemistry and photophysics of different bridged transition metal complexes (donor-acceptor diads and triads) with emphasis on redox and photochromic switches of photoinduced electron and energy transfer (FH and AMC).
vii) Oligonuclear transition-metal complexes for redox catalytic and/or photocatalytic activation of small molecules (carbon dioxide, methane, water, alcohols, hydrogen) (FH). The development of systems aimed at the production of clean and sustainable fuels (FH).
viii) Development of photochemical methods for the total synthesis of natural products and use of theory to predict the outcome of such reactions (ATR/DN).
ix) Synthesis of biologically active compounds and mechanistic probes (ATR).
TEAM MEMBERS:
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS:
- Dr Peter Harris CFAM, University of Reading
- Dr Kenneth Shankland Pharmacy, University of Reading
- M.J. Calhorda (MJC), Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Lisbon, Portugal
- A.C. Hannon (ACH), ISIS, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
- M.G. Tucker (MGT), ISIS, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory