Research Interests
PLA group research is focused on reactive and unusual complexes of the rare earths and actinides. We use these to make new catalysts for difficult transformations such as hydrocarbon C-H bond functionalisation and conversions of abundant small molecules such as dinitrogen and carbon oxygenates. The most unusual metal compounds also teach us about electronic structure and bonding in these poorly-understood, yet often earth-abundant heavy elements. This is important to help us exploit the technology critical rare earths, e.g. in quantum science applications, and for the safe stewardship of our nuclear waste legacies. Our labs have state-of-the-art equipment for the synthesis of highly air-sensitive complexes, and the study of their reactivity towards small, inert molecules. We combine anaerobic, organometallic techniques with new methodologies to control f-block cation reactivity, elicit unprecedented behaviours, and isolate molecules with previously unseen electronic structures and reactivities from across the f-block, generating key advances in our understanding of f-block bonding and reactivity to feed into each of these areas.