 Professor D.M. O'Hare
Chemistry Research Laboratory
Telephone: 44 (0) 1865 285130
Research Group
Web Pages
Latest News Part II in Research and Development
in California. Symyx Technologies are delighted to be able to offer
the possibility of a placement for a talented student from Professor
O’Hare’s research group. This full time position is
offered for up to a 6 month period and is intended to form part
of the Oxford Part II year. Please see the following link for more
information.
We have currently a wide range of research interests.
They all involve synthetic chemistry ranging from organometallic
chemistry to the synthesis of new microporous solids. Some currently
active projects are summarised below.
In-Situ
Diffraction Studies
The group has developed an in-situ XRD method for use at the Daresbury
facility which has been used to follow the following reactions:
- Crystallisation from Solution
- Intercalation Reactions
- Hydrothermal Reactions
- Sol-Gel Syntheses
- Solid State Syntheses in Molten-Salt Fluxes
- Classical Solid Phase Reactions
Organometallic
Compounds; synthesis, characterisation and electronic properties
 The O’Hare group is interested in synthesising novel organometallic
compounds and has recently concentrated on those containing Tp
and Pn. Our most recent work has concerned development of a synthesis
of nonamethylfluorene (Flu*) and organometallic compounds of this
ligand and currently being prepared.
Catalytic
Dechlorination of PCBs
For the past few years the DOH group has been interested in a
catalytic approach to dechlorinations of PCBs to yield biphenyl.
The process being developed was discovered in the mid-nineties.
Although there are other methods for destruction of PCBs in large quantities,
there is currently no industrial method for destroying PCBs where they are
a pollutant in low concentrations. The group is interested in understanding
more about the mechanism of the process in question and developing the process
to be able to work towards a possible industrial solution to this pollution
problem.
Applications
of Layered Double Hydroxides
 The group has studied the synthesis and applications of Layered
Double Hydroxides(LDHs). They are synthesized using standard
hydrothermal routes, with different additives and temperature conditions
being used to control structure. These have general formula[A(1-x)Mx(OH)2]x+.An– .mH2O]
A2+ = Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Li, Mg, Ni, Pd, Pt, Zn
M3+ = Al, Cr, Fe, V
X = anion (eg. CO32–, OH–, Cl-, Br-, NO3–, SO42–)
The
ability of these compounds to accommodate species between the layers means
they have a wide variety of applications where it is advantageous to absorb/release
molecules.
Hydrothermal
Actinide Chemistry
The O'Hare group has developed a number of new Uranyl fluorides
and oxyfluorides. The aim of this is to exploit potential for co-operative
effects of f-electrons and shape-selectivity derived from structural
porosity. There is also interest in characterisation of the physicochemical
properties of these novel materials. These properties include:
– thermal
– optical, magnetic and electronic
– ion-exchange
– sorbents, porosity, surface area
– catalysis
Selected recent publications
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