Challenging targets in rare earth metal-organic chemistry. This project aims to prepare highly reactive rare earth organometallic and metal-organic compounds, especially from the free metals, and to determine their structures and reactivity. Abundant rare earth resources position Australia to be a major supplier of these strategic elements. The challenging target systems include coordination stabilised novel ligands, pseudo-Grignard reagents LnR(X) including the rare fluorides, complexes primed ....Challenging targets in rare earth metal-organic chemistry. This project aims to prepare highly reactive rare earth organometallic and metal-organic compounds, especially from the free metals, and to determine their structures and reactivity. Abundant rare earth resources position Australia to be a major supplier of these strategic elements. The challenging target systems include coordination stabilised novel ligands, pseudo-Grignard reagents LnR(X) including the rare fluorides, complexes primed for carbon-fluorine activation, and intermediates from use of lanthanoid reagents in organic synthesis. The project will provide a knowledge base and expertise for the utilisation of Australia's abundant rare earths and will transform the current behaviour of the elements. It builds the expertise and knowledge needed to underpin Australian rare earth processing and develops the breakthrough science needed for new applications in fine chemical manufacturing, catalysis and recycling.Read moreRead less
Metal-promoted bond functionalisation: new routes to amides and thioamides. This project aims to discover new metal-promoted methods to synthesise amides and thioamides, important structural motifs in chemistry and biology. The project will use a mechanism-based approach that integrates theory with gas- and solution-phase experiments to discover new chemical reactions. A benefit of this research will be new eco-friendly alternatives to existing processes, thereby reducing waste and eliminating t ....Metal-promoted bond functionalisation: new routes to amides and thioamides. This project aims to discover new metal-promoted methods to synthesise amides and thioamides, important structural motifs in chemistry and biology. The project will use a mechanism-based approach that integrates theory with gas- and solution-phase experiments to discover new chemical reactions. A benefit of this research will be new eco-friendly alternatives to existing processes, thereby reducing waste and eliminating toxic and expensive reagents.Read moreRead less
Coinage metal nanoclusters: synthesis, structure and reactivity. Metal catalysts play important roles in the multi-billion dollar production of many industrial and fine chemicals used in wide-ranging applications including pharmaceuticals, insecticides and polymers. Despite the importance of metal catalysed reactions, the molecular details of such processes remain poorly understood. Breakthrough studies highlight that reactions previously thought to be catalysed by discrete metal catalysts are i ....Coinage metal nanoclusters: synthesis, structure and reactivity. Metal catalysts play important roles in the multi-billion dollar production of many industrial and fine chemicals used in wide-ranging applications including pharmaceuticals, insecticides and polymers. Despite the importance of metal catalysed reactions, the molecular details of such processes remain poorly understood. Breakthrough studies highlight that reactions previously thought to be catalysed by discrete metal catalysts are in fact catalysed by metal nanoclusters. This project involves the application of advanced mass spectrometric and computational methods to explore the formation and reactivity of copper, silver and gold nanoclusters. Identification of key reactive intermediates will inform the design of next generation catalysts.Read moreRead less
Advancing the chemistry of topical rare earth metals. Abundant rare earth resources positions Australia to be a major supplier of these strategic elements and overcome the shortage created by the Chinese monopoly and export restrictions. This project will build the expertise and knowledge needed to underpin Australian rare earth processing and develop the breakthrough science needed for new applications.
Combating Antimicrobial Resistance with Bismuth, Gallium and Indium. This research project focuses on the design, development, and application of new bismuth, gallium and indium compounds as antimicrobial agents. These metals act as iron mimics in vivo and can exert antimicrobial activity while displaying low systemic toxicity in humans. The project aims to exploit this, and the inability of microbes to easily develop resistance towards metals, to combat bacteria for which modern drugs are rapid ....Combating Antimicrobial Resistance with Bismuth, Gallium and Indium. This research project focuses on the design, development, and application of new bismuth, gallium and indium compounds as antimicrobial agents. These metals act as iron mimics in vivo and can exert antimicrobial activity while displaying low systemic toxicity in humans. The project aims to exploit this, and the inability of microbes to easily develop resistance towards metals, to combat bacteria for which modern drugs are rapidly becoming ineffective, as highlighted in the WHO and US Centre for Disease Control list of critical and priority pathogens. The intended outcome is that efficacy will be driven through advances in synthetic and structural chemistry, discovering the mode of action, and creating anti-infective coatings and hydrogels.Read moreRead less
Advancing the Metal-Organic Chemistry of the Heavy Alkaline Earth Elements. The project will open up a new area in Australian metal based chemical research, deriving high value added products from the already existing exploitation of Australia's substantial alkaline earth metal mineral resources. Internationally recognised expertise in the design and manipulation of highly reactive chemical tools will contribute breakthrough science and innovation to the growing pharmaceutical, fine chemicals an ....Advancing the Metal-Organic Chemistry of the Heavy Alkaline Earth Elements. The project will open up a new area in Australian metal based chemical research, deriving high value added products from the already existing exploitation of Australia's substantial alkaline earth metal mineral resources. Internationally recognised expertise in the design and manipulation of highly reactive chemical tools will contribute breakthrough science and innovation to the growing pharmaceutical, fine chemicals and smart materials industry, with the potential to provide nascent and established Australian companies a competitive edge in new product development. Students will be trained in the necessary skills to succeed in and expand such technically demanding area of metal based chemistry.Read moreRead less
Targeting Bio-Compatible Homo- and Hetero-bimetallic Cages and their Application in High Energy and Dual Energy Computed Tomography. The project is focused on the synthesis, characterisation and stability of novel homo-metallic and hetero-metallic oxygen and sulfur based cage compounds which have the potential to be suitable for high energy and Dual Energy CT imaging (DECT), and also for optical imaging where rare-earth metals are involved. Pre-requisites for cage design are that they be stable ....Targeting Bio-Compatible Homo- and Hetero-bimetallic Cages and their Application in High Energy and Dual Energy Computed Tomography. The project is focused on the synthesis, characterisation and stability of novel homo-metallic and hetero-metallic oxygen and sulfur based cage compounds which have the potential to be suitable for high energy and Dual Energy CT imaging (DECT), and also for optical imaging where rare-earth metals are involved. Pre-requisites for cage design are that they be stable and soluble in aqueous media, and be resistant to anionic ligand exchange at the cluster surface. The targeted metals are based on good attenuation at high (100 to 140 keV) and low X-ray (less than 30 keV) energies, and the possibility of high stability and low toxicity.Read moreRead less
A new molecular platform for catalytic synthesis of heterocycles. This project aims to address the lack of efficient methods to prepare cyclic molecules of biological relevance by utilising novel molecular platforms developed in our laboratories. This project expects to generate new cyclic molecules using these innovative molecular platforms by employing catalysts to reduce raw material and energy cost. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced chemical technology to prepare cyclic ....A new molecular platform for catalytic synthesis of heterocycles. This project aims to address the lack of efficient methods to prepare cyclic molecules of biological relevance by utilising novel molecular platforms developed in our laboratories. This project expects to generate new cyclic molecules using these innovative molecular platforms by employing catalysts to reduce raw material and energy cost. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced chemical technology to prepare cyclic molecules of pharmaceutical importance and the training of highly skilled PhD students. This should provide significant benefits, such as increased capacity for the development of new pharmaceuticals and advanced materials.Read moreRead less
Frontiers in synthetic and structural rare earth chemistry. Rare earth elements are a major under-utilised Auatralian resource.
Their commercial development requires knowledge and progression of their
chemistry. Advancing the chemistry of highly reactive, air-sensitive
metalorganics will provide the breakthrough science to underpin future
applications in chemical manufacture, catalysis and new materials.
Transformation of rare earth chemistry to achieve behaviour hitherto
atypical of these ....Frontiers in synthetic and structural rare earth chemistry. Rare earth elements are a major under-utilised Auatralian resource.
Their commercial development requires knowledge and progression of their
chemistry. Advancing the chemistry of highly reactive, air-sensitive
metalorganics will provide the breakthrough science to underpin future
applications in chemical manufacture, catalysis and new materials.
Transformation of rare earth chemistry to achieve behaviour hitherto
atypical of these elements by steric and electronic modulation of
attached groups will value-add to their properties.Read moreRead less
Expanding the organometallic toolbox for constructing heterocycles. This project aims to design and synthesise stereospecific cyclic molecules. This is a problem for chemists, particularly when bioactivity and medicinal relevance depend on complex stereochemistry and substitution patterns. This team will build on their discovery of a cascade reaction for synthesising highly stereospecific indolene derivatives. They will target reagents and reaction pathways for creating heterocyclic molecules wh ....Expanding the organometallic toolbox for constructing heterocycles. This project aims to design and synthesise stereospecific cyclic molecules. This is a problem for chemists, particularly when bioactivity and medicinal relevance depend on complex stereochemistry and substitution patterns. This team will build on their discovery of a cascade reaction for synthesising highly stereospecific indolene derivatives. They will target reagents and reaction pathways for creating heterocyclic molecules which are difficult to access. They will synthesise and characterise homo- and hetero-bimetallic complexes to develop cyclic molecules and scaffolds relevant in drug discovery. New molecules and reaction pathways will be relevant for biological and medicinal chemistry, and drug discovery programmes.Read moreRead less