John Spencer
Professor - Chemistry
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Research interests
Organometallic Chemistry and Carbon Nanotubes
Organometallic transition metal compounds have a diverse and interesting chemistry that includes applications in homogeneous catalysis. I am interested in designing ligands that will create unusual coordination environments for Group 10 elements, Ni, Pd and Pt, to encourage unique patterns of reactivity and the stabilization of novel complexes. A major objective of the work is the development of new catalysts for application in organic synthesis.
A second research area is the synthesis of carbon nanotubes by novel means. Specifically, I am interested in understanding the growth mechanism of carbon nanotubes formed under metal catalysis by chemical vapour methods, and in developing more specific and directed methods of synthesis. This work is carried out under the MacDiarmid Institute in collaboration with Professor A Kaiser and Dr Mike Arnold (Industrial Research Ltd).
External collaborations and external research funds
NERF: Novel Nanophase Industrial Materials