Research projects

A Trojan horse to combat malaria / Anti-doping chemistry / Enzyme engineering / Exploring the ‘sulfatome’

A Trojan horse to combat malaria, Anti-doping chemistry, Enzyme engineering and Exploring the ‘sulfatome’.

Theme

Analytical Chemistry and Sensors
Catalysis
Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development
Organic chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Advanced Optical Spectroscopy / The mechanism of biological water splitting / Redox non-innocent first row transition metal complexes

Advanced Optical Spectroscopy, The mechanism of biological water splitting and Redox non-innocent first row transition metal complexes.

Theme

Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry
Energy, Environment and Green Chemistry
Catalysis
Physical and Biophysical Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Cox Group

Advanced Optical Spectroscopy of the Chlorophylls

This project aims to address these key fundamental questions about the photochemistry of these modified chlorophyll forms.

Theme

Physical and Biophysical Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Summer scholar students

People

A/ Prof. Nick Cox, Supervisor
Dr Robin Purchase, Supervisor

Aiming For The Perfect Chemical Synthesis

To devise better ways to make complex molecules, we are inventing powerful domino reactions, which are spectacular ways to create complex molecules in the quickest possible way.

Student intake

Open for Honours students

Group

Sherburn Group

Allosteric inhibitors / Neobiochemistry / Engineering an insulin biosensor.

Allosteric inhibitors, Neobiochemistry and Engineering an insulin biosensor.

Theme

Analytical Chemistry and Sensors
Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development
Physical and Biophysical Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Artificial biomaterials / Development and 3D printing of functional materials

Artificial biomaterials and the Development and 3D printing of functional materials

Theme

Functional Materials and Interfaces
Soft Matter
Energy, Environment and Green Chemistry
Catalysis
Supramolecular Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Connal Group

Computer-aided drug design / Antimicrobial resistance / Membrane biophysics

Computer-aided drug design , Antimicrobial resistance and membrane biophysics.

Theme

Computational and Theoretical Chemistry
Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development
Physical and Biophysical Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Chemical Biology

Designing cooperative transition metal catalysts

Designing cooperative transition metal catalysts.

Theme

Catalysis
Energy, Environment and Green Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Designing Ligands to assist the activation of small molecules (CO, H2, NO, SO2)

Please contact the supervisor for more details.

Theme

Catalysis
Energy, Environment and Green Chemistry
Functional Materials and Interfaces
Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry
Organic chemistry
Supramolecular Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Summer scholar students

Group

Synthesis

People

Prof. Anthony Hill, Supervisor

Domino Reactions / Step Economic Total Synthesis / Synthesising Designed Molecules

Domino Reactions, Step Economic Total Synthesis and Synthesising Designed Molecules.

Theme

Catalysis
Energy, Environment and Green Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry
Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development
Organic chemistry
Supramolecular Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 / Therapeutics for dengue fever / Bicyclic peptides

Infectious viruses such as dengue, Zika, West Nile, Chikungunya or SARS-CoV-2 have common Achilles heel: their protease. Proteases are key enzymes of viral replication and promising drug targets. The project explores constrained peptides targeting proteases available in our lab from flavi-, alpha- and coronaviruses

Theme

Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development
Organic chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease

This project aims to advance the development of specific antiviral drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Student intake

Open for Honours students

Group

Nitsche Group

Investigation of photochemical mechanism of triazine-based photoinitiator / Development of materials from renewable resources for 3D printing / Development of functional additive for dental materials

Investigation of photochemical mechanism of triazine-based photoinitiator, Development of materials from renewable resources for 3D printing and development of functional additive for dental materials

Theme

Soft Matter
Energy, Environment and Green Chemistry
Catalysis
Physical and Biophysical Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Xiao Group

Liquid organic hydrogen storage / Solar-powered catalysts / Multifunctional material / Chemistry, structure and property of high performance polar functional materials.

Liquid organic hydrogen storage, Solar-powered catalysts, Multifunctional materials and the Chemistry, structure and property of high performance polar functional materials.

Theme

Functional Materials and Interfaces
Energy, Environment and Green Chemistry
Catalysis

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group

Liu Group

Magnesium and Calcium Hydride Catalysis / Low Oxidation State Aluminium Complexes / Main Group Radicals

Think that aluminium chemistry is all about the +3 oxidation state? In the Hicks group we think not. Recently, a range of anionic Al(I) reagents, aka aluminyl anions, have been reported that remarkably show nucleophilic behaviour at Al. This project aims to investigate the reactivity of these highly reactive reagents.

Theme

Catalysis
Energy, Environment and Green Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry

Student intake

Open for Honours, PhD students

Group