Our work covers organometallic chemistry with a particular focus include unsaturated ligands involving metal–carbon multiple bonding.

About

Our work covers a diversity of challenges in coordination and organometallic chemistry. Particular foci include unsaturated ligands involving metal–carbon multiple bonding and the interface of transition and main group chemistries. In attempting to understand and ideally control the reactivity of such systems, the nature of the metal centre is of paramount importance; this may be tuned through variations in oxidation state, d-configuration and, most importantly, the nature of the co-ligands.

Accordingly, considerable effort is directed towards the synthesis of new co-ligands which themselves do not necessarily take part in the transformations of other ligands but may moderate these indirectly.

Projects

We are studying compounds in which a single atom of carbon is held between two metal centres LnM=C=MLn. In most cases the M=C=M spine is linear but we have recently isolated the first examples where the carbon is bent and displays nucleophilic character.

Student intake

Open for Honours, Master, PhD, Summer scholar students

Theme

Functional Materials and Interfaces, Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry, Organic chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry

We are developing new pincer frameworks that include unconventional donors, e.g., o-silyl (–SiR3), carbene and o-boryl (-BR2) groups in the equatorial position.

Student intake

Open for Honours, Master, PhD, Summer scholar students

Theme

Energy, Environment and Green Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry, Organic chemistry

Facile lithium/halogen exchange with BuLi affords lithiocarbynes which in turn react with a range of electrophiles. Using these strategies we have isolated examples of carbyne ligands based on B, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, As, Sb and Bi, e.g.,the tris(carbyne)silane H–Si(CMLn)3 shown.

Student intake

Open for Honours, Master, PhD, Summer scholar students

Theme

Functional Materials and Interfaces, Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry, Organic chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry

Members

Leader

Student

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PhD Candidate

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PhD Candidate

News

Congratulations to Dr Ben Frogley who was awarded the University of Auckland L. H. Briggs Medal, recognising “the person judged to be the most distinguished research worker in the School of Chemical Sciences who has submitted a thesis for the degree of PhD in Chemistry."

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