Dr Simon Doherty
Senior Lecturer

  • Email: simon.doherty@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 222 6537
  • Fax: +44 (0) 191 222 6929
  • Address: Dr Simon Doherty
    Senior Lecturer, Organometallic Chemistry & Catalysis
    School of Natural Sciences
    Bedson Building
    University of Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 7RU

Introduction

Dr Simon Doherty is a senior lecturer in Organometallic Chemistry and Catalysis. He was awarded first class Hons. in Chemistry in 1987 and a PhD in 1990 for a thesis Coordination and Cluster Compounds of Primary Phosphines, both from University College London. After working as a postdoctoral researcher with Professor Arthur J. Carty at Waterloo, Canada, investigating small molecule activation and skeletal transformations of phosphinidine stabilized clusters and the reactivity of hydrocarbyl ligands on bimetallic phosphido-bridged complexes, he moved to Bloomington Indiana to work with Professor Malcolm Chisholm (FRS), preparing alkyl and alkoxide supported transition metal alkylidynes, nitrides and oxides and studying their MOCVD characteristics.

Previous Positions

1994-1995 Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry University of Wales, Swansea
1995-2001 Senior Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry, University of Newcastle
2001-2004 Reader in Inorganic Chemistry, Queen’s University of Belfast
2004- Senior Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry, University of Newcastle

Doherty has published over 90 research papers, written invited review articles, a Nature Protocol and contributed to several books.

 

NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY CATALYSIS (NUCAT): The Doherty Group

Doherty Group Research Page

The Doherty group has a broad range of research interests based around the synthesis and applications of novel and architecturally distinct phosphines, coordination chemistry, catalysis and polymer synthesis.

The unifying theme in the Phosphine Synthesis Team is innovative methodology directed towards new phosphorus-based ligands for applications in platinum group metal catalysis. Over the past decade the group has developed a NUCAT ligand kit which comprises a range of mono- and bidentate phosphines; these  include:

  1. NUPHOS diphosphines via zirconium-mediated reductive coupling of alkynes 
  2. NU-BIPHEP diphosphines via rhodium-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloaddition
  3. KITPHOS monophosphines via Diels-Alder cycloaddition of alkynylphosphine oxides
  4. CATPHOS diphosphines via double Diels-Alder cycloaddition to diynes
  5. New Biaryl diphosphines via Diels-Alder cycloaddition extrusion

The most recent addition to the NUCAT ligand kit are bulky electron-rich dihydro-KITPHOS monophosphines which form highly efficient catalysts for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling of a host of electronically diverse aryl chlorides with boronic acids.

A team of researchers is exploring the use of ionic liquids to improve existing catalytic transformations, for instance, enhancing reactions rate, improving catalyst lifetime, achieving multiple recycles and engineering continuous processes.  A novel polyoxometalate-based Polymer Immobilised Ionic Liquid Phase (PIILP) catalyst has been developed for the epoxidation of alkenes and allylic alcohols; the system can be recycled and reused up to 5 times with only a  minor reduction in performance on successive cycles. The catalysts are formed by combining a novel cation-decorated co-polymer, generated via Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP), with an oxidation active polyoxometalate; the resulting catalytic material is a free flowing, robust, air-stable white solid.

The group is currently developing a range of PIILP based catalysts and exploring how the polymer microstructure and charge density effects the size, distribution and morphology of gold and palladium nanoparticles.