Chemical reactivity of transition metal cyaphide complexes

The project will build on our recent work with organometallic cyaphide (C P) complexes (Dalton Trans., 2014, 43, 9004-9007) with specific emphasis on investigating and exploiting their chemical reactivity. This will involve the design and development of new complexes and synthetic methodology, directed toward optimising reactivity profiles. The project is associated with, and will complement, an EPSRC funded project concerned with complexes of cyaphide and related linearly conjugated phosphacarbons, directed toward the development of molecular electronic species.

The project will involve substantial anaerobic organometallic synthesis, with the extensive 'hands-on' use of advanced multinuclear NMR spectroscopic methods as a primary means of compound identification and characterisation, and reaction monitoring. This will be augmented by "in-house" computational (DFT) methods and potentially (if and where appropriate) some electrochemical studies. The successful candidate will therefore receive a thorough and rounded training in the methods of modern inorganic and organometallic synthesis and characterisation.