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 crystal structure of [FeCp(CO)2(CCl=CF2)]

[FeCp(CO)2(CCl=CF2)]
One of the first organometallic chlorodifluorovinyl complexes to be prepared.

Fluorine
A bundle of wires

Wire Coatings
The use of a fluorinated outer coating keeps wires dry and protect them from fire damage.

Fluorine Group News
Fluorine and Carbon standing infront of the transition metals

Fluorine in Organometallic Chemistry
As invited authors in the fluorine in organometallic chemistry special issue of the ACS flagship journal Organometallics we report the synthesis of perfluoropropenyl organometallic species and their use in catalysis. more...

Click for other news

Fluorine@Manchester
Chemical drawing of selectfluor

Selectfluor
The world's most famous electrophillic (F+) fluorinating agent SelectfluorTM was invented in Manchester at UMIST by Professor Eric Banks.

Fluorine in Society
A pharmaceutical capsule

Modern Drugs
Many new, modern drugs contain fluorinated groups, these include anaesthetics, antibiotics and anticancer drugs.