Download Colour Chemistry

Colour Chemistry
Project supervisors who teach colour chemistry
Prof. Long Lin: dyes, pigments, biosensors, surface coatings
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Project examples:
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Use of natural dyes for dyeing natural fibres
Biosensors for point-of-care detection of bowel diseases
Dr. Kelvin Tapley: novel techniques and applications in
capillary electrophoresis, especially for colorants and fine
chemicals
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Project examples: not currently available
Dr. Paul Thornton: synthesis of biodegradable polymeric
materials capable of self-assembly for drug delivery applications
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Project examples: not currently available
Inorganic Chemistry
Project supervisors who teach inorganic chemistry
Dr. Thomas Chamberlain: exploitation of the unique
environment within the pores of carbon nanostructure/metal
based hybrid materials to control chemical reactions and generate
new materials
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Project examples:
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Fabrication of carbon nanostructure supported metal nanoparticle
nanocatalysts for selective and sustainable chemistry
Exploring catalysis in confined space using functionalised
fullerene based molecular catalysts anchored inside carbon
nanoreactors
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Prof. Malcolm Halcrow: metal complexes with switchable
magnetic or electronic properties, for applications in functional
materials and nanoscience
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Project examples:
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Spin-crossover compounds - thermal, optical and magnetic
switches from simple metal complexes
Metal complexes as supramolecular cavitands
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Prof. Michaele Hardie: metallo-supramolecular chemistry
with new host-type ligands, metal-organic framework materials,
chemical crystallography
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Project examples:
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Star-burst metallo-supramolecular assemblies and coordination
polymers
Porous crystalline networks and metallo-spheres from 2,2’bipyridine ligands
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Dr. Terry Kee: abiogenesis (origins of life) and energy
transduction (specifically proton exchange membrane fuel cells)
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Project examples:
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Abiogenesis. On the Emergence of Primitive Bioenergetic Systems
Dr. Patrick McGowan: transition metal complexes as
anticancer drugs and catalysts for the formation of
pharmaceuticals/hair dyes/polymers
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Project examples: not currently available
Prof. Fiona Meldrum: bio-inspired materials chemistry, taking
Nature as the inspiration for developing novel strategies for the
production of advanced materials
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Project examples:
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Bio-Inspired Synthesis of Nanocomposites: Creating Artificial
Seashells
Droplet Microfluidic: Nanoscale Reactors for Biological
Crystallization Studies
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Dr. Robert Menzel: chemistry and properties of nanomaterials,
specifically low-dimensional carbon and metal oxide
nanostructures (carbon nanotubes, graphene, TiO2 nanoplatelets
and layered double hydroxides), and their application in
heterogeneous catalysis and environmental remediation
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Project examples:
Synthesis and Joule heating characterisation of carbon nanotube
and silicon carbide aerogels
Synthesis and internal surface functionalisation of graphene and
carbon nanotube aerogels
Graphene-supported hydrotalcite nanoparticles for the recovery
of phosphates from water
Dr. Charlotte Willans: organometallic complexes of Nheterocyclic carbene ligands for biomedical (anticancer) and
catalytic applications
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Project examples:
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Mechanism of action on cancer cells of silver complexes bearing
N-heterocyclic carbene ligands
N-Heterocyclic carbene-carborane metal complexes for catalytic
and biomedical applications
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Dr. Dejian Zhou: ultrasensitive nano-enabled biosensors for
early disease diagnosis; multifunctional nanomedicine for
effective, targeted cancer therapy and imaging; multifunctional
nanoprobes for manipulation of multivalent proteinprotein/ligand interactions
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Project examples:
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Development of Novel Quantum Dot-Aptamer Biosensors
Develop Novel Inhibitors for Bacteria Toxins via DNA
Nanotechnology
Organic Chemistry
Project supervisors who teach organic chemistry
Prof. John Blacker: development of scalable sustainable
catalytic processes to complex organic chemicals, including those
using continuous flow reactors
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Project examples:
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Novel Hydrogen Transfer Catalyst Designs: Addressing Slow
Industry Uptake of Existing Methods
Combined Bio- and Chemo- Catalysis: Methods for Making
Secondary and Tertiary Chiral Amines
Green Chemistry: Testing the Catathesis of a and b Hydroxy Acids
for Sustainable Chemicals
Oxygen-Based Biocatalytic Oxidations in Scalable Flow Processes
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Dr. Richard Bourne: development of new sustainable
processes with focus on continuous flow routes to pharmaceutical
and fine chemical products
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Project examples:
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Sustainable Automated Synthesis of APIs in Flow
Prof. Colin Fishwick: computer-assisted design and synthesis
of biologically active molecules as future drug leads
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Project examples: not currently available
Dr. Richard Foster: design, identification and optimisation of
bioactive small molecules as therapeutics in areas of unmet
medical need
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Project examples:
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Identification of inhibitors of Orai3 ion channels as novel
cardiovascular protective agents
Targeting mRNA export pathways as a novel antiviral strategy for
Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus
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Prof. Steve Marsden: novel catalytic chemistry for applications
in process chemistry, organic synthesis, materials chemistry and
chemical biology
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Project examples:
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Enabling Methods for the Efficient Synthesis of Diverse Lead-Like
Scaffolds
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Novel Chiral Catalysts for Asymmetric C-H Activation Reactions
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Catalytic Aza-Wittig Reactions for the Synthesis of MedicinallyRelevant Benzodiazepines
Dr. Nimesh Mistry: development of novel asymmetric catalysis
towards the synthesis of biologically active compounds and
chemical libraries
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Project examples:
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Chiral copper enolate catalysis in the ring-opening of epoxides by
silyl enol ethers
Evaluating conceptual understanding of organic chemistry
through different teaching methods
Developing problem-based learning experiments for the
undergraduate teaching laboratories
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Prof. Frans Muller: physical organic chemistry, flow chemistry,
crystallisation and Life cycle analysis as applied to the fine
chemical and pharmaceutical industry

Project examples: Please come and discuss, we'll work out a
project based on your skills. Example titles: Iron nano particle
hyrdogen transfer catalysis, Continuous production of Zinc Oxide
crystals.
Prof. Adam Nelson: synthesis and biological applications of
diverse small molecules
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Project examples:
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Development of a novel scaffold for a small molecule library
Dr. Bao Nguyen: catalysis, mechanisms and CO2 utilisation
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Project examples:
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Myth-busting the role of chiral anions in gold catalysed reactions
Novel and readily accessible bicyclic dienes scaffolds for
asymmetric catalysis
Prof. Chris Rayner: research centred on aspects of
sustainability in Chemistry, particularly on the capture and use of
carbon dioxide, and on the use of natural products in areas
ranging from consumer products to medicinal chemistry
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Project examples: not currently available
Dr. Visuvanathar Sridharan: synthesis of novel heterocyclic
scaffolds via a one pot bimetallic catalytic cascade reactions
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Project examples:
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One pot rhodium-catalysed Petasis reaction / isomerisation / 1,5electrocyclisation cascades to heterocycles
Synthesis of spirooxindoles and 3,3- disubstituted oxindole
arrays: Diversity Oriented Synthesis
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Prof. Paul Taylor: studies of evolutionary origins of chemical
signalling in humans using bioinformatic and analytical chemistry
techniques
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Project examples:
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Tracing the Cyanobacterial Origins of Biochemical Signalling in
Humans
Dr. Bruce Turnbull: chemical/enzymatic synthesis; protein
modification; biophysical methods for measuring ligand binding
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Project examples:
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Re-engineering bacterial toxins for drug delivery
Dr. Stuart Warriner: we use chemical methods to probe
biological systems with a focus on ways to identify and
characterise biological interactions
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Project examples: not currently available
Dr. Michael Webb : protein chemistry including the function
and modification of proteins in catalysis, regulation and
atmospheric processes as well as being targets for medicinal
chemistry
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Project examples:
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Application of stable analogues of phosphohistidine and
phosphoaspartate
Chemistry of a strain-based protein-activation reaction
Protein-protein interaction maps – just how accurate are they?
Kinetic analysis of GTP Cyclohydrolase I
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Prof. Andrew Wilson: understanding and controlling
molecular recognition and self-assembly using designed synthetic
molecules
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Project examples:
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Biometic Signalling Using Self-Sorting Hydrogen-Bonding Motifs
Developing Diazirines as Probes for Monitoring Dynamic
Molecular Recognition Processes
Physical Chemistry
Project supervisors who teach physical chemistry
Dr. Richard Ansell: polymeric materials with selective binding
sites for use in analytical chemistry, catalysis and energy
conversion
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Project examples:
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Photocatalytic, electrochemical, and photoelectrochemical
reduction of nitro compounds on titanium dioxide nanoparticles
Molecularly imprinted sensors and catalysts
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Dr. Stefan Auer: theoretical, computational soft and biological
physics. Topics include the nucleation and regulation of normal
and aberrant self-assembly in biological systems, and how we can
functionalise them as nanomaterials
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Project examples:
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Modelling the formation of amyloid fibril networks and their
mechanical properties for tissue engineering applications
Dr. Paul Beales: development and characterisation of soft
materials (primarily) using self-assembled membranes, mainly
motivated by biomedical applications such as novel drug delivery
systems
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Project examples:
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Catalytic Protocells
Responsive DNA-lipids for controlled assembly of liposomal
compartments
Aerosol delivery of analgesic nanomedicines for pain relief
following abdominal surgery
Membrane biophysics approaches to investigating the potential
toxicity of engineered nanoparticles
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Prof. Dwayne Heard: atmospheric field measurements (for
example the OH radical) using laser-based instruments and
studies of the kinetics and photochemistry of astrochemical and
atmospheric environments
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Project examples:
Atmospheric detection of hydroxyl radicals (OH), other
radicals/intermediates (HO2, RO2, IO, formaldehyde, glyoxal) and
OH reactivity using laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy and
interpretation using computer modelling of chemical oxidation
Kinetics and photochemistry of gas-phase reactions in
atmospheric and astrochemical environments, and heterogeneous
reactions on atmospheric aerosols
Dr. Marcelo Miranda: applications of quantum mechanics to
chemistry, particularly dynamics and stereochemistry of
elementary reactions
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Project examples:
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Dynamical stereochemistry and mechanisms of elementary
chemical reactions
An interdisciplinary approach to theory of molecular reaction
dynamics
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Prof. Andrew Nelson: development of toxicity sensing devices
in particular novel technologies for the high throughput screening
of pharmaceuticals for drug discovery
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Project examples: not currently available
Prof. John Plane: atmospheric and planetary chemistry,
reaction kinetics and photochemistry
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Project examples:
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Chemistry of Cosmic Dust
Prof. Paul Seakins: project examples include: Combustion
Chemistry of dimethyl ether, atmospheric oxidation of amines,
chamber studies on isoprene oxidation
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Project examples: not currently available
Dr. Dmitry Shalashilin: theoretical and computational
chemistry; development of new methods of quantum and classical
atomistic simulations with applications to studies of the dynamics
of chemical and biochemical reactions
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Project examples: not currently available
Dr. Daniel Stone: kinetics and spectroscopy of reactive
intermediates in atmospheric and combustion chemistry using
quantum cascade laser (QCL) infrared spectroscopy
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Project examples:
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Kinetics of SO3 product formation by reaction of SO2 with Criegee
intermediates under atmospheric conditions
Prof. Ben Whitaker: experimental studies of molecular
reaction dynamics in the gas phase and in solution using laser
spectroscopy; computational projects suitable also for Medicinal
Chemists
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Project examples:
Velocity resolved Resonantly Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization
(REMPI) spectroscopy
Coherent Control (of Chemistry)