Department of Chemistry, University of Durham
Dr Andy Beeby, Research
Interests
My research
interests lie in the fields of photochemistry and photophysics. This work
encompasses a wide range of related topics, including the determination of
fundamental photophysical parameters, the identification of intermediate
species and their kinetic behaviour and the characterisation of
a reactions end-products. It is only by having a detailed understanding
of all these factors that we can design chemical systems in which we have
control over the direction and outcome of photochemical reactions. This
comprehensive approach is applied to
the study of a number of photo-induced reactions, such as energy transfer,
electron transfer and isomerisation. These processes are studied in a range of
chemical systems including commercially important materials, e.g.
pharmaceuticals & electroluminescent materials, compounds of fundamental
interest, e.g. those that show twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT)
states, and new materials such as C60 and electroluminescent
materials.
The group is well equipped
to carry out these measurements which can demand a range of skills and
techniques- see equipment/experimental
facilites. We always welcome
enquiries from groups that would like to collaborate on any measurements.
Current research
programmes include;
Luminescence
spectroscopy and Imaging
I am interested in the phenomenon of luminescence
and I’ll look at pretty much anything that glows! We have a wide range of excitation sources
and detection systems allowing us to look at all types of sample, under a wide
range of conditions. I am particularly
interested in emission in the NIR spectral region: 700 – 1700nm, and we
are one of the few groups in the
Studies of Phthalocyanines Our group carries out fundamental
research into the photochemical properties of phthalocyanines, a class of
compound that that has a wide range of applications including photodynamic
therapy, PDT. Our work is currently focussing on the synthesis and
characterisation of luminescent dimeric phthalocyanines with interesting
properties, the protonation of phthalocyanines
and the preparation of electron-donor phthalocyanine dyads.
Sensitisation
of Lanthanide Luminescence. We have investigated the fundamental photophysical properties of
lanthanide ions, including an understanding of the pathways of energy transfer
from organic chromophores to the metal ions. Although
the properties of terbium and europium have been extensively studied the
photophysical behaviour of many other luminescent lanthanide ions in solution
have been somewhat neglected for various reasons. We are investigating systems
based upon neodymium, ytterbium and erbium in aqueous media and have observed
interesting isotope and ligand effects. This work is technically challenging
due to the fact that the emission is short lived and in the near infra-red
spectral region.
Electroluminescent
Materials.
In the near future
it is expected that conventional displays, based upon cathode-ray tubes, will
be replaced by new technologies utilising thin-film electroluminecent
materials. Devices based upon organic materials rely upon the
recombination of holes and electrons that are injected into the material
producing excited states, known as excitons, which
can be either triplet or singlet character. In conventional materials
based upon conjugated polymers only the singlet state excitons
can emit light, and triplet excitons, are effectively
wasted energy. Our interest lies in the use of organometallic
complexes that are capable of harvesting both singlet and triplet excitons to
produce light output and includes both the synthesis of new materials
and the study of their spectroscopic properties. Using our understanding of the electronic
structure of these materials and how it controls the emission behaviour we can
also develop new molecular probes based upon this class of material.
Oligoarylethynylenes These highly luminescent compounds are currently the
subject of intense attention as potential 'molecular wires and switches' and as
emissive layers for organic LED's. In collaboration with colleagues at
The
Photochemistry of Sunscreens. A study of the photochemical activity of a number of commercially used
UV-A and UV-B absorbers, with particular emphasis upon the intermediate states
formed upon excitation and their deactivation pathways. This work has included
studies of enolised 1,3-diketones,
e.g. Parsol-1789, and anthranilate esters. The
latter have been shown to be potent sensitisers of
singlet oxygen in solution.
Students - Past and Present (date of
completion)
Dr Claire Stanley (1997)
Dr Catherine Coultous (1999)
Dr Allison Wigman (1999)
Dr Ian Clarkson (1999)
Dr Allison Jones (2000)
Dr Lisa Bushby (2001)
Dr Simon FitzGerald (2002)
Dr Sylvia Bettington (2003)
Dr Karen Findlay (2007)
Dr Simon Rutter (2007)
Mr Lucas Applegarth
Mr Ben Coombs
Publications
For some recent publications please click here.
Me at work!
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This page last modified by
AB 4th Sept. 2008