Biography
I was appointed to a lectureship in organic chemistry at Keele in the summer of 2012, moving here from Cambridge University where I was a fellow and Director-of-Studies for Natural Sciences at Pembroke College.
I was an undergraduate at York University and, after graduating, took up an industrial position as a medicinal synthetic chemist at Zeneca (now AstraZeneca) Pharmaceuticals. I returned to academia to study for a PhD under the supervision of Professor Jim Thomas at the University of Manchester where I worked towards the total-synthesis of the bryostatin family of natural products.
After a Post-Doctoral research period working with Professor Ian Paterson FRS in Cambridge on the total-synthesis of the marine macrolide discodermolide I was appointed as the Kinerton Lecturer of Organic Chemistry at Trinity College Dublin. My main research focus in Dublin was remote asymmetry, particularly the use of spiroketal scaffolds to facilitate long range asymmetric induction.
After 3 years in Dublin I returned to the UK to work with Professor Steven V. Ley CBE FRS in Cambridge where I was appointed as a fellow of Pembroke College. Aside from working on the Total-Synthesis of natural products, I invented a new method (using the Teflon AF-2400 gas permeable membrane) of using gases for synthetic chemistry in continuous flow.
Research and scholarship
Our research is focused on two key themes.
In addition to the generation of novel stereoselective synthetic methodologies and the total synthesis of biologically active natural products, we are also very interested in the development of new enabling technologies for automated chemical synthesis, particularly in the area of continuous-flow chemistry. A recent example of this is a continuous-flow inline liquid-liquid extraction system that uses a computer-vision approach (OpenCV/Python) to control the position of the interface (link: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2012/OB/c2ob25912e#!divAbstract).
Teaching
- CHE20001: Organic Synthesis and Catalysis
- CHE20012: Drugs of Abuse
- CHE20029: Radicals, Phases and Supramolecular Chemistry (Module Leader)
- CHE30002/40/41: Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry Research Projects
- CHE30010: Forensic Toxicology
- CHE30029: Forensic Science Dissertation
- CHE30037: Topics in Chemistry
- CHE30039: Advanced Organic Chemistry (Module Leader)
Selected Publications
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An automated computer‐vision “bubble‐counting” technique tocharacterise CO2 dissolution into an acetonitrile flow stream in a Teflon AF‐2400 tube‐in‐tubeflow device. ChemPlusChem. doi> full text>2022.
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Exploiting Thrips Aggregation Pheromones to Develop a Lure-and-Kill Strategy for the Management of the Bean Flower Thrips. AGRONOMY-BASEL, Article ARTN 1269, vol. 11(7). link> doi> full text>2021.
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A tutored discourse on microcontrollers, single board computers and their applications to monitor and control chemical reactions. REACTION CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING, 201-220, vol. 5(2). link> doi> full text>2020.
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Gas-liquid flow hydrogenation of nitroarenes: Efficient access to a pharmaceutically relevant pyrrolobenzo[1,4]diazepine scaffold. TETRAHEDRON, 6795-6803, vol. 74(47). link> doi> full text>2018.
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Highly diastereoselective boron and titanium mediated aldol reactions of a mannitol derived 2,3-butanediacetal ethyl ketone. TETRAHEDRON, 5319-5329, vol. 74(38). link> doi> full text>2018.
Full Publications Listshow
Journal Articles
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An automated computer‐vision “bubble‐counting” technique tocharacterise CO2 dissolution into an acetonitrile flow stream in a Teflon AF‐2400 tube‐in‐tubeflow device. ChemPlusChem. doi> full text>2022.
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Exploiting Thrips Aggregation Pheromones to Develop a Lure-and-Kill Strategy for the Management of the Bean Flower Thrips. AGRONOMY-BASEL, Article ARTN 1269, vol. 11(7). link> doi> full text>2021.
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A tutored discourse on microcontrollers, single board computers and their applications to monitor and control chemical reactions. REACTION CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING, 201-220, vol. 5(2). link> doi> full text>2020.
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Gas-liquid flow hydrogenation of nitroarenes: Efficient access to a pharmaceutically relevant pyrrolobenzo[1,4]diazepine scaffold. TETRAHEDRON, 6795-6803, vol. 74(47). link> doi> full text>2018.
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Highly diastereoselective boron and titanium mediated aldol reactions of a mannitol derived 2,3-butanediacetal ethyl ketone. TETRAHEDRON, 5319-5329, vol. 74(38). link> doi> full text>2018.
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An open-source approach to automation in organic synthesis: The flow chemical formation of benzamides using an inline liquid-liquid extraction system and a homemade 3-axis autosampling/product-collection device. TETRAHEDRON, 3152-3157, vol. 74(25). link> doi> full text>2018.
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An automated colorimetric inline titration of CO2 concentrations in solvent flow streams using a Teflon AF-2400 tube-in-tube device. JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION, 580-588, vol. 21. link> doi> full text>2017.
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Harnessing open-source technology for low-cost automation in synthesis: Flow chemical deprotection of silyl ethers using a homemade autosampling system. TETRAHEDRON LETTERS, 2409-2413, vol. 58(25). link> doi> full text>2017.
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Furanyl Cyclic Ethers: Single and Double Diastereoselectivity in the Synthesis of 2,4-Di and 2,4,5-Trisubstituted Tetrahydropyrans. Journal of Organic Chemistry. link> doi> link> full text>2017.
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Continuous flow iodination using an automated computer-vision controlled liquid-liquid extraction system. TETRAHEDRON LETTERS, 829-834, vol. 58(9). link> doi> full text>2017.
- 2016.
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The continuous-flow synthesis of carbazate hydrazones using a simplified computer-vision controlled liquid-liquid extraction system. TETRAHEDRON LETTERS, 5188-5191, vol. 57(47). link> doi> full text>2016.
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Creating 3-Dimensional Molecular Models to Help Students Visualize Stereoselective Reaction Pathways. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION, 1663-1666, vol. 93(9). link> doi> full text>2016.
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Continuous Flow Liquid-Liquid Separation Using a Computer-Vision Control System: The Bromination of Enaminones with N-Bromosuccinimide. SYNLETT, 164-168, vol. 27(1). link> doi> link> full text>2016.
- 2015.
- 2014.
- 2013.
- 2013.
- 2013.
- 2013.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2012.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2010.
- 2010.
- 2009.
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Stereocontrolled preparation of bicyclic alkaloid analogues: an approach towards the kinabalurine skeleton. Tetrahedron, 8259-8268, vol. 65(39). doi>2009.
- 2008.
- 2008.
- 2008.
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Furanyl spiroketals as stereochemical relays in the synthesis of 1,9-anti diols: synthesis of insect pheromones. Tetrahedron Letters, 5683-5686, vol. 48(32). doi>2007.
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Furanyl spiroketals: thermodynamic control of remote asymmetry. Tetrahedron Letters, 3665-3668, vol. 47(22). doi>2006.
- 2005.
- 2002.
- 1997.
Chapters
- 2018.
- 2018.
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Cram's Rule: Diastereoselective Grignard addition to 2-phenylpropanal. In Comprehensive Organic Chemistry Experiments for the Laboratory Classroom. Alfonso CAM, Candeias NR, Simao DP, Trindade AF, Coelho JAS, Tan B, Franzen R (Eds.). Royal Society of Chemistry.2017.
Other
- 2005.
School address
Lennard-Jones School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Lennard-Jones Building
Keele University
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG, UK
Phone (School Office): +44 (0)1782 733033,
+44 (0)1782 733527
or +44 (0)1782 734225
Email: chemistry@keele.ac.uk, forensics@keele.ac.uk, physics@keele.ac.uk
Programme directors
Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry
Dr Matthew O'Brien
Tel : +44 (0)1782 734371
Email : m.obrien@keele.ac.uk
Forensic Science
Dr Jamie K. Pringle
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733163
Email : j.k.pringle@keele.ac.uk
Physics and Astrophysics
Dr Arumugam Mahendrasingam
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733312
Email : a.mahendrasingam@keele.ac.uk
Admission tutors
Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry
Dr Natalie Capel
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733584
Email : n.j.capel@keele.ac.uk
Forensic Science
Victoria Cartwright
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733584
Email : v.cartwright@keele.ac.uk
Physics and Astrophysics
Dr Patrick Connell
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733892
Email : physics@keele.ac.uk or p.j.connell@keele.ac.uk