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Department of Chemistry
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Green Synthesis and Catalysis for a Sustainable Future

We develop and implement green and sustainable chemistry into environmentally responsible products and processes. Our work often centres on catalysis, a powerful tool for precisely controlling chemical transformations to create more efficient, targeted, and greener manufacturing. This approach can involve elimination of waste, use of renewable raw materials, and avoidance of toxic or energy-intensive methods.

Our catalysis work is fundamentally driven by mechanism-led metal catalysis, combining cutting-edge experimental, advanced spectroscopic, and computational methods to explore:

  • Transition metal catalysis
  • Main group organometallic catalysis
  • Biocatalysis and bio-inspired metal catalysis
  • Photochemistry and electrochemistry

More broadly, our research spans all aspects of green and sustainable synthesis, from exploring renewable feedstocks and biomass processing to developing innovative sustainable synthetic chemical transformations and recycling.

We actively accelerate progress in areas offering significant sustainability benefits by understanding their potential and limitations. This includes:

  • Modernising Synthesis: Mechanochemistry, microwave heating, and automated synthetic chemistry (using robotics for data-rich analysis of "green" conditions/reagents). We also embrace high-throughput experimentation, digital chemistry, and data-driven methods for reaction modelling and optimisation.
  • Product Design: The circular economy, focusing on designing chemical products for reuse and safe degradation.
  • Environmental Solutions: Chemical remediation and recovery.
  • Materials & Solvents: Bioderived/biodegradable polymer synthesis and green/sustainable solvents.
  • Laboratory Practices: Sustainable laboratory research practices.

Collaborations & Infrastructure

Collaboration with the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence and the Biorenewables Development Centre provides a proven pipeline for translating our fundamental research into sustainable commercial products. We also link with departmental themes including Digital Chemistry and Technologies for Molecular Measurement.

Our research is underpinned by core University of York facilities, including the Centre for Hyperpolarisation in Magnetic Resonance, the Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry, and the YorRobots initiative.

We are actively involved in relevant Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs): ALBERT, Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet (CSHP), and Process Industries Net Zero (PINZ).

Staff