Publications
Not an exhaustive list
Carbon-metal-cation-based modulation of gas adsorption selectivity in porous tetrapyrrolic materials
By Subrata Maji, Prachi Gupta, Rob Clowes, Yoshitaka Matsushita, Lok Kumar Shrestha, Anna G. Slater, Jonathan P. Hill, and Mandeep K. Chahal
We present a direct strategy to assemble porous tetrapyrrolic materialswith tunable gas uptake selectivity by varying the coordinated cation.Co-OX1 shows improved CO2uptake of 51.66 cm3g-1at 298 K, whilefree base-OX1 demonstrates a CO2/N2selectivity of 202.9. Thisapproach offers a viable route to CO2capture technologies
By George Lyall-Brookes, Alex Padgham, Jasmine Catlow, Firdaus Parveen and Anna Grace Slater
Aromatic bromination is widely used, but typical procedures have drawbacks such as long reaction times or the use of strong acid additives. Here, an aromatic bromination procedure has been developed and optimised in flow using algorithmic optimisation. The reaction, which we hypothesise exploits in-situ generation of H3O+, does not require acid additives, enabling quick, cheap, and efficient bromination.
By C. E. Shields, A. M. Scholes, A. G. Slater
Organic supramolecular materials, defined by their discrete, modular nature, promise to deliver flexible solutions to pressing challenges, including separations, storage, sensing, and catalysis. The absence of strong metallic or covalent bonding within their solid-state structures enables fine-tuning and post-synthetic processing to tailor properties towards specific applications. However, their production suffers from poor reproducibility, scalability, and sustainability; as a result, translation of these materials from the lab to real-world situations is rare. In this perspective, we discuss how the field stands to benefit from the emergence of ‘enabling technologies’, such as high-throughput screening (HTS), automation, and flow chemistry.
By George Lyall-Brookes, Alex C. Padgham, Anna G. Slater
The way in which compounds and processes are discovered, screened, and optimised is changing, catalysed via the advancement of technology and automation. High throughput experimentation (HTE) is one of the most prevalent techniques in this area, with applications found across a broad spectrum of chemical fields. However, limitations such as challenges in handling volatile solvents mean it is not suitable for all applications, and scale-up can require extensive re-optimisation from an initial high throughput screening (HTS). These challenges can be addressed by coupling HTS with other enabling technologies, such as flow chemistry. The use of flow also widens available process windows, giving access to chemistry that is extremely challenging to carry out under batch-wise HTS.
By Sarah E. Raby-Buck, Jonathan Devlin, Prachi Gupta, Claudio Battilocchio, Marcus Baumann, Anastasios Polyzos, Anna G. Slater, Duncan L. Browne
Continuous flow techniques have become important tools for molecular synthesis, both in academia and across the fine chemicals industry. The success of these methods has been in part due to their interdisciplinary nature, bringing together chemists and engineers to design and construct creative solutions for the novel synthesis and scale-up of molecules, with applications in pharmaceuticals, agrochemistry, materials chemistry and crystallization. The advantages of flow chemistry include the high surface-area-to-volume ratio of narrow tubing, which improves temperature control, and the ability to scale by increasing reaction time rather than vessel volume.
By Liqun Guo, Qiang Zhu, Anna G. Slater
Self-assembly plays a crucial role in the formation of hierarchical supramolecular structures and functional materials. The use of flow chemistry for self-assembly processes has garnered significant attention due to its enhanced ability to control the formation of complex molecular and nanoscale architectures. Compared to conventional batch processes, flow-based systems offer improved regulation of key reaction parameters, such as mixing dynamics, temperature gradients, and residence time, facilitating continuous and scalable synthesis.
By Kafui Y. E. Late, Damien Denis, Quentin Blancart Remaury, Patrycja Roszkowska, Anna G. Slater, Prince N. Amaniampong, Tony Chave, François Jérôme
Here we report that cavitation bubbles, formed by the ultrasonic irradiation of a liquid at a high frequency, induce the catalyst-free N-dealkylation of aniline derivatives in water, thus opening an alternative pathway to current technologies which require transition metals and hazardous solvents or oxidants. Mechanism investigations revealed that the N-dealkylation of aniline derivatives takes place at the cavitation bubble–water interface, a region where N–C bond thermal cracking reactions occur. Advantageously, the N-dealkylation of aniline derivatives can also specifically occur in the presence of other components, thanks to their strong interaction at the cavitation bubble–water interface.
By Firdaus Parveen, Anna G. Slater
Global warming and the depletion of petroleum resources require immediate and focused attention, and there is a pressing need to accelerate progress. Digital approaches can be leveraged in these efforts, for example in exploring effective replacements for petrochemicals or effectively identifying molecules with better performance. One such potential replacement is lignocellulosic biomass: a sustainable feedstock for producing chemicals and fuels that does not compete with essential food supply.
By Chenchen Du, Alex C. Padgham, Anna G. Slater, Liang Zhang
The development of flow processes for metal-ligand self-assembly and ring-closing metathesis has facilitated the efficient and scalable preparation of iron(II) pentafoil knot and Star of David [2]catenane. Use of a flow reactor also enables the formation of the otherwise inaccessible coordinatively labile zinc(II) pentameric helicate, leading to an efficient two-step synthesis of the zinc(II) pentafoil knot. As the first example of topology-synthesis in flow, our work demonstrates that the metal-ligand self-assembly can be readily adapted to flow techniques, even for labile complexes that are difficult to prepare in batches.
By Abbie M Scholes, Laurence J. Kershaw Cook, Filip T. Szczypiński, Konstantin V. Luzyanin, Benjamin D Egleston, Rebecca L. Greenaway, Anna G. Slater
Solid-state materials formed from discrete imine macrocycles have potential in industrial separations, but dynamic behaviour during both synthesis and crystallisation makes them challenging to exploit. Here, we explore opportunities for structural control by investigating the dynamic nature of a C-5 brominated isotrianglimine in solution and under crystallisation conditions.