Alan Brisdon's Fluorine Research Group

This is the Home Page of the fluorine research group from the School of Chemistry at The University of Manchester, formerly UMIST. Here you will find details of our research in fluorine chemistry which covers the synthesis of inorganic, organometallic and organofluorine compounds as well as their spectroscopy, characterisation and applications. You will also find information of our group, facilities and publications.

Fluorine Chemistry underpins all of our research work

Fluorine is one of the most reactive elements in the periodic table yet some of its compounds are the most stable and least reactive; while others are more reactive than fluorine itself! It is the ability of fluorine to drastically alter the steric and electronic properties of its compounds that fascinate us.

Compounds of fluorine find applications in almost all areas of modern life. From fluoride in modern toothpaste to the many different fluorinated plastics and materials, including polytetrafluoroethene, PTFE (tradename Teflon) which is the inert plastic used in "non-stick" pans. Very many modern pharmaceutical compounds (anti-cancer, antibiotics, anti-malerials etc) include fluorine, or fluorinated groups. Fluorine is also heavily involved in environmental chemistry, for example the generation of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) arose because of the phaseout of their ozone-depleting cousins, CFCs.

Fluorine and HFC Chemistry

HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) used in synthesis

The introduction of fluorine and fluorine-containing groups into molecules, based on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs, the replacements for CFCs) such as HFC-134a (CF3CH2F) and HFC-245fa (CF3CH2CHF2) and related materials.

Fluorine-containing Ligands

fluorinated phosphine

The synthesis of fluoroalkyl, fluoroalkenyl and fluoroalkynyl fluorine-containing phosphines and NHCs, their properties, coordination complexes, uses and applications in catalysis.

Fluoro-organometallics

fluorinated organometallic complex

Organofluorine-containing organometallic complexes, their structures and chemistries including catalysis, such as trifluorovinyl and trifluoropropynyl complexes of main-group and transition-metals.

Fluorine-containing materials

A long fluorinated (fluorous) chained molecule

Including halogen-bonding, the synthesis of fluorine-containing functional materials, such as our work on polymer precursors, fluorographene and room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs).

Structural Fluorine Chemistry

A molecule showing halogen bonding

Fluorine-containing molecules give rise to some unusual structural properties including fluorous domains and halogen-bonding, which we study by Xray crystallography.

Spectroscopy & Analysis Tools

Laptop with NMR spectrum

Examples and theory behind multinuclear (19F, 31P) NMR spectroscopy, on-line tools to calculate elemental (microanalysis) figures, mass spec patterns, 31-P nmr chemical shifts for phosphines, J-coupling patterns and mass spec isotope patterns.

Publications

book and journal

We publish in areas ranging from CFC-related compounds, HFC-chemistry, organofluorine chemistry, fluorovinyls, fluoroalkynes, fluorine-containing phosphorus ligands, fluoro-organometallic systems, catalysis, metal-fluorides coordination chemistry and ionic liquids.

The Group

The members of the research group

The group, both past and present, has had a lot of hard-working and committed project students, MSc and PhD researchers and international visitors. Find out how you can join us.

Links

Web links

Links to fluorine, chemical and related items, such as journals, suppliers, learned socities and relevant software.

Fluorine Events
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Days with events are highlighted, click, or hover on them for more details. Click here for the diary.

Fluorine News
the fluoroalkyl phosphine Ph2PC3F7

Ph2P(i-C3F7)
We reported (Chem. Commun. 2009, 6658) the first generic route to fluoroalkyl-containing phosphines. more ...

Fluorine
water beads on a surface

Repelency coatings
Many water repellency treatments for clothes and equipment, such as coats, shoes and tents, are based on fluorochemicals.

Fluorine Group News
triphasic ionic liquid system

Room Temperature Ionic Liquids
Ionic Liquids are composed entirely of ions (like in table salt), but are liquids. We have shown that by decreasing the symmetry of the ions we can drastically modify the properties of the ionic liquids. more...

Click for other news

Fluorine@Manchester
HFC-134a cylinder, a solvent for enzyme reactions

HFCs for biological transformations
Jason Micklefield's group pioneered the use of HFCs as solvents for enzymatic reactions.

Fluorine in Society
A non-stick frying pan

Non-stick coatings
Non-stick fluorinated plastics, such as Teflon(TM) are found in pans and the roof of the Millenium dome!