Our core research involves using organic synthesis and reactivity to design functional molecules with new chemical properties or catalytic activity.

In particular we are currently involved in developing organic compounds which are able to activate an isomer of hydrogen called para-hydrogen, which is itself invisible in NMR spectroscopy, but when activated transfers an NMR signal thousands of times the normal intensity to a target molecule through a process known as hyperpolarisation. Hyperpolarisation can be used to detect trace or short-lived compounds, or ultimately develop contrast agents in MRI.