Fields of Research

Transition metal chemistry
Organic chemical synthesis
F-block chemistry
Nanochemistry
Metal organic frameworks
Inorganic materials (incl. nanomaterials)
Metal cluster chemistry
Organometallic chemistry
Separation science
Physical properties of materials
Computational chemistry
Biologically active molecules
Free radical chemistry
Solid state chemistry
Electronic and magnetic properties of condensed matter; superconductivity
Macromolecular materials
Electrochemistry
Inorganic chemistry
Analytical chemistry
Polymerisation mechanisms
Functional materials
Structure and dynamics of materials

Research Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the chemical sciences
Expanding knowledge in the mathematical sciences
Management of solid waste from mineral resource activities
Expanding knowledge in the physical sciences
Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences
Measurement and assessment of freshwater quality (incl. physical and chemical conditions of water)

Career Best Publications

Research Publications

A new selective fluorescent probe based on tamoxifen; Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters
A novel approach to FePt assemblage and synthesis; The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part C
A simple procedure for the production of large ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles; Dalton Transactions
Advanced inorganic chemistry laboratory curricula in Australian universities: investigating the major topics and approaches to learning; Australian Journal of Chemistry
An experimental investigation of dynamic behavior in FePt systems; Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
Anion-Directed Solid-State Structures of Copper(I) and Silver(I) Adducts of Ruthenium Ethyne-1,2-diyl Compounds; Organometallics
Broad distributions of relaxation times in FePt nanoparticles; Journal of Applied Physics
Developing tamoxifen-based chemical probes for use with a dual-modality fluorescence and optical coherence tomography imaging needle; Australian Journal of Chemistry
Electrochemical properties of a verdazyl radical in room temperature ionic liquids; Australian Journal of Chemistry
Enhanced synthesis of oxo-verdazyl radicals bearing sterically-and electronically-diverse C3-substituents; Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry
Interpolated potential-energy surface and reaction dynamics for BH++H2; Journal of Chemical Physics
Investigation of the structure and magnetism in lanthanide ß-triketonate tetranuclear assemblies; Journal of Coordination Chemistry
Lanthanoid 'bottlebrush' clusters: remarkably elongated metal-oxo core structures with controllable lengths; Journal of the American Chemical Society
Lanthanoid pyridyl-β-diketonate 'triangles'. New examples of single molecule toroics; Dalton Transactions
Magnetic properties of calixarene-supported metal coordination clusters; Coordination Chemistry Reviews
Magnetic studies of metal ion coordination clusters encapsulated with thiacalixarene; Australian Journal of Chemistry
Manganese-calcium clusters supported by calixarenes; Dalton Transactions
Matrix isolation ESR and theoretical studies of metal phosphides; The Journal of Chemical Physics
Molecular imprisonment: host response to guest location, orientation, and dynamics in clathrates of Dianin's compound; Crystal Growth & Design
Multimodal imaging needle combining optical coherence tomography and fluorescence for imaging of live breast cancer cells labeled with a fluorescent analog of tamoxifen; Journal of Biomedical Optics
Optimisation of iron oxide nanoparticles for agglomeration and blockage in aqueous flow systems; Australian Journal of Chemistry
Photoactive metal carbonyl complexes bearing N-heterocyclic carbene ligands: synthesis, characterization, and viability as photoredox catalysts; Inorganic Chemistry
Photochemical activation of a hydroxyquinone-derived phenyliodonium ylide by visible light: synthetic and mechanistic investigations; Journal of Organic Chemistry
Resonance-based detection of magnetic nanoparticles and microbeads using nanopatterned ferromagnets; Physical Review Applied
Rhenium-catalysed reactions in chemical synthesis: selected case studies; Dalton Transactions
Seemingly simple group 8 cyclopentadienyl dicarbonyl metal halides: From little things, interesting things grow; Crystengcomm
Solution-phase decomposition of ferrocene into wüstite-iron oxide core–shell nanoparticles; Dalton Transactions
Supported heterogeneous catalysts: what controls cobalt nanoparticle dispersion on alumina?; New Journal of Chemistry
Supramolecular interactions between hexabromoethane and cyclopentadienyl ruthenium bromides: Halogen bonding or electrostatic organisation?; Crystengcomm
Suzuki-Miyaura Csp²-Csp² cross-couplings employing nickel(II) pincer precatalysts: mechanistic investigations; Organometallics
Systematic structural coordination chemistry of p-tert-Butyltetrathiacalix[4]arene: further complexes of Lanthanide Metal Ions; European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry
Systematic structural coordination chemistry of p-tert-Butyltetrathiacalix[4]arene: further complexes of Transition-Metal Ions; European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry
Temperature-dependent crystal structure of the isopropanol clathrate of Dianin's compound; Chemical Communications
Tert-Butyldimethylsilyl Amine (TBDMS-NH2): A Mild and Green Reagent for the Protection of Benzyl Alcohols, Phenols, and Carboxylic Acids under Solvent-Free Conditions; Australian Journal of Chemistry
The modification of M41S materials: addition of metal clusters and nanoparticles; New Journal of Chemistry
The use of preformed nanoparticles in the production of heterogeneous catalysts; Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

Research Projects

Design and synthesis of new radical and heterometallic magnetic molecules; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Magnetometry Facility for Molecular Nanomaterials; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Exchange spring permanent magnets based on monodisperse nanoparticles embedded in a thin film
Fluorescent biomarkers for improved breast cancer surgery
Improved Breast Cancer Imaging
New generation Fischer-Tropsch nano-catalysts
New generation Fischer-Tropsch nano-catalysts
Quantitative molecular imaging (QMI) the future of medical diagnostics
Targeted contrast agents for multimodal imaging of breast cancer
Targeted Medical Imaging: The future of medical diagnostics

Research Candidate Supervision