Staff Profile
Dr Mike Probert
Senior Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry, Head of Crystallography
- Email: michael.probert@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6641
- Address: Chemistry
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
Bedson Building
Newcastle University
Kings Road
NE1 7RU
Dr Mike Probert completed his PhD with Prof. Judith A.K. Howard at Durham University, where he remained as a PDRA and later as a Senior Research Fellow designing and building new single crystal X-ray diffraction equipment. The hardware developed, coupled with novel computational advances, formed a unique diffraction facility for the investigation of crystalline materials under extreme conditions. Mike was appointed as a lecturer in Chemistry in September 2013, and moved his bespoke facility to Newcastle University. He has since secured significant additional financial support through the University's Research Investment Fund to further enhance the facility to generate a world leading laboratory.
Mike has previously held the role of Degree Programme Director (DPD) for Undergraduate Chemistry BSc and MChem courses (2016 - 2019) until being appointed to his current position of Senior Lecturer and Research Lead for the Energy Structure and Dynamics group.
Mike's personal research group webpages can be found through this link
Mike's research interests include: studying the structure/property correlations of molecular systems under extreme conditions, ranging from simple organic compounds that exist as liquids under ambient conditions, to complex multi-dimensional systems that undergo novel phase changes upon cooling and/or the application of pressure; the polymorphic nature of compounds in the solid state; and the accurate experimental determination of electron densities of crystalline materials. These areas are all aided by the development of highly specialized equipment and novel experimental design that form another aspect to his research portfolio.
Dr Probert teaches various aspects of chemistry with lecture courses covering:
Inorganic Chemistry (CHY1301)
Structural Chemistry (CHY2401)
Computational Chemistry (CHY2003,CHY2103)
Advanced diffraction techniques (CHY8423)
Dr Probert also demonstrates undergraduate inorganic practicals (1st year) and is the laboratory leader for the structural chemistry practical course (2nd year). He also tutors first year inorganic chemistry.
- Johnson NT, Probert MR, Waddell PG. Structural investigations into a new polymorph of F4TCNQ: towards enhanced semiconductor properties. Acta Crystallographica Section C: Structural Chemistry 2021, C77(7), 426-434.
- Mason HE, Musselle-Sexton JRC, Howard JAK, Probert MR, Sparkes HA. Structural studies into the spin crossover behaviour of Fe(abpt)2(NCS)2 polymorphs B and D. New Journal of Chemistry 2021, 45(31), 14014-14023.
- Tyler AR, Ragbirsingh R, McMonagle CJ, Waddell PG, Heaps SE, Steed JW, Thaw P, Hall MJ, Probert MR. Encapsulated Nanodroplet Crystallization of Organic-Soluble Small Molecules. Chem 2020, 6(7), 1755-1765.
- Zeng L, Sirbu D, Waddell PG, Tkachenko NV, Probert MR, Benniston AC. Hydrogen Peroxide Assisted Photorelease of an Anthraquinone-based Ligand from [Ru(2,2’-bipyridine)2(9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydroanthracen-1-olate)]Cl in Aqueous Solution. Dalton Transactions 2020, 38, 13243-13252.
- Taylor CR, Mulvee MT, Perenyi DS, Probert MR, Day GM, Steed JW. Minimizing Polymorphic Risk through Cooperative Computational and Experimental Exploration. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2020, 142(39), 16668-16680.
- Etcheverry-Berrios A, Parsons S, Kamenev KV, Probert MR, Moggach SA, Murrie M, Brechin EK. Putting the squeeze on molecule-based magnets: Exploiting pressure to develop magneto-structural correlations in paramagnetic coordination compounds. Magnetochemistry 2020, 6(3), 32.
- Villaman D, McMonagle CJ, Probert MR, Pena O, Moreno Y, Fuentealba M. Structural studies of a manganese(iii) complex with spin-crossover and thermochromic properties. CrystEngComm 2020, 22(18), 3221-3233.
- Frank F, Manzoli LA, Mauker P, Alsimaree AA, Waddell PG, Probert MR, Penfold TJ, Knight JG, Hall MJ. Synthesis of 3,5-Dichloro-4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacenes (BODIPYs) via Cu(OTf)2 Mediated Oxidative Nucleophilic Substitution of Hydrogen by Chloride. Tetrahedron 2020, 76(17), 131113.
- Smith EL, Ridout J, Sellars JD, Probert MR. A structural exploration of anisole accessed through extreme conditions crystallisation. CrystEngComm 2019, 21(30), 4422-4426.
- Unthank M, Cameron C, Wright A, Hughes D, Ashraf Alam M, Probert M. Amino-diol borate complexation for controlling transport phenomena of penetrant molecules into polymeric matrices. Polymer Chemistry 2019, 10(36), 4920-4929.
- McMonagle CJ, Probert MR. Reducing the background of ultra-low-temperature X-ray diffraction data through new methods and advanced materials. Journal of Applied Crystallography 2019, 52(2), 445-450.
- Hay MA, McMonagle CJ, Wilson C, Probert MR, Murrie M. Trigonal to Pentagonal Bipyramidal Coordination Switching in a Co(II) Single-Ion Magnet. Inorganic Chemistry 2019, 58(15), 9691-9697.
- Johnson NT, Ott H, Probert MR. CAPOW: a standalone program for the calculation of optimal weighting parameters for least-squares crystallographic refinements. Journal of Applied Crystallography 2018, 51(1), 200-204.
- Coffer PK, Dillon KB, Howard JAK, Probert MR, Shepherd HJ. Coordination properties of a 2-aryl-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane. Inorganica Chimica Acta 2018, 479, 24-29.
- Hevia E, McLellan R, Davin L, Clegg W, Kennedy AR, Probert MR. Structural and synthetic insights into pyridine homocouplings mediated by a beta-diketiminato magnesium amide complex. Chemistry - A European Journal 2018, 24(55), 14830-14835.
- Maddock LCH, Nixon T, Kennedy AR, Probert MR, Clegg W, Hevia E. Utilising Sodium-Mediated Ferration for Regioselective Functionalisation of Fluoroarenes via C-H and C-F Bond Activations. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2018, 57(1), 187-191.
- Poirier S, Lynn H, Reber C, Tailleur E, Marchivie M, Guionneau P, Probert MR. Variation of M⋯H-C Interactions in Square-Planar Complexes of Nickel(II), Palladium(II), and Platinum(II) Probed by Luminescence Spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction at Variable Pressure. Inorganic Chemistry 2018, 57(13), 7713-7723.
- Probert MR, Ramsden CA, Stanforth SP. Addition of phenylisocyanate to 3,5-diphenyl-1,2-dithiolium-4-olate gives a thioketone. Tetrahedron Letters 2017, 58(14), 1425-1427.
- Fleming JT, Waddell PG, Probert MR, Clegg W, Higham LJ. Coinage Metal Complexes of Phosphonite Analogues of 2-Diphenylphosphino-1,1′-binaphthyl (H-MOP) and 2-Diphenylphosphino-2′-methoxy-1,1′-binaphthyl (MeO-MOP). European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2017, 2017(21), 2837-2844.
- Scott JF, Morrison FD, Slawin AMZ, Lightfoot P, Clulow R, Gherson ASA, Bumstead AM, Gardner J, Capelli SC, Probert MR, Sahoo S, Young JS, Katiyar RS, Salje EKH. Ferrielectricity in the metal-organic ferroelectric tris-sarcosine calcium chloride. Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics 2017, 95(9), 094119.
- Lee R, Yufit DS, Probert MR, Steed JW. High Pressure/Low Temperature Polymorphism in 2,6-Dimethylpyridine-Formic Acid Cocrystals. Crystal Growth and Design 2017, 17(4), 1647-1653.
- Baksh A, Kepplinger B, Isah H, Probert MR, Clegg W, Wills C, Goodfellow M, Errington J, Allenby N, Hall MJ. Production of 17-O-demethyl-geldanamycin, a cytotoxic ansamycin polyketide, by Streptomyces hygroscopicus DEM20745. Natural Product Research 2017, 31(16), 1895-1900.
- Johnson NT, Waddell PG, Clegg W, Probert MR. Remote access revolution: chemical crystallographers enter a new era at Diamond Light Source beamline I19. Crystals 2017, 7(12), 360.
- Lamming G, Kolokotroni J, Harrison T, Penfold TJ, Clegg W, Waddell PG, Probert MR, Houlton A. Structural Diversity and Argentophilic Interactions in 1-D Silver-based Coordination Polymers. Crystal Growth and Design 2017, 17(11), 5753-5763.
- Lee R, Firbank AJ, Probert MR, Steed JW. Expanding the Pyridine-Formic Acid Cocrystal Landscape under Extreme Conditions. Crystal Growth and Design 2016, 16(7), 4005-4011.
- Lee R, Mason SA, Mossou E, Lamming G, Probert MR, Steed JW. Neutron Diffraction Studies on Guest-Induced Distortions in Urea Inclusion Compounds. Crystal Growth & Design 2016, 16(12), 7175-7185.
- Woodall CH, Craig GA, Prescimone A, Misek M, Cano J, Faus J, Probert MR, Parsons S, Moggach S, Martinez-Lillo J, Murrie M, Kamenev KV, Brechin EK. Pressure induced enhancement of the magnetic ordering temperature in rhenium(IV) monomers. Nature Communications 2016, 7, 13870.
- Izod K, Evans P, Waddell PG, Probert MR. Remote Substituent Effects on the Structures and Stabilities of P=E π-Stabilized Diphosphatetrylenes (R2P)2E (E = Ge, Sn). Inorganic Chemistry 2016, 55(20), 10510-10522.
- Doherty S, Knight JG, Perry DO, Ward NAB, Bittner DM, McFarlane W, Wills C, Probert MR. Triaryl-Like MONO-, BIS- and TRISKITPHOS Phosphines: Synthesis, Solution NMR Studies and a Comparison in Gold-Catalysed Carbon-Heteroatom Bond Forming 5-Exo-Dig and 6-Endo-Dig Cyclizations. Organometallics 2016, 35(9), 1265-1278.
- Lamming G, El-Zubir O, Kolokotroni J, McGurk C, Waddell PG, Probert MR, Houlton A. Two-Dimensional Frameworks Based on Ag(I)-N Bond Formation: Single Crystal to Single Molecular Sheet Transformation. Inorganic Chemistry 2016, 55(19), 9644-9652.
- Cardona MA, Kveder M, Baisch U, Probert MR, Magri DC. Water-soluble β-aminobisulfonate building blocks for pH and Cu2+ indicators. RSC Advances 2016, 6(88), 84712-84721.
- Daniels RE, Culham S, Hunter M, Durrant MC, Probert MR, Clegg W, Williams JAG, Kozhevnikov VN. When two are better than one: bright phosphorescence from non-stereogenic dinuclear iridium(III) complexes. Dalton Transactions 2016, 45(16), 6949-6962.
- Craig GA, Woodall CH, McKellar SC, Probert MR, Kamenev KV, Moggach SA, Brechin EK, Parsons S, Murrie M. A high-pressure crystallographic and magnetic study of Na-5[Mn(L-tart)2].12H2O (L-tart = L-tartrate). Dalton Transactions 2015, 44(42), 18324-18328.
- Cowell J, Abualnaja M, Morton S, Linder R, Buckingham F, Waddell PG, Probert MR, Hall MJ. Diastereoselective synthesis of functionalised carbazoles via a sequential Diels-Alder/ene reaction strategy. RSC Advances 2015, 5(21), 16125-16152.
- Cowell J, Harrington RW, Probert MR, Hall MJ. Enantioselective synthesis of functionalised tetrahydrocarbazoles via an organocatalysed Diels-Alder/ene reaction strategy. Tetrahedron: Asymmetry 2015, 26(20), 1189-1196.
- Izod K, Dixon CM, Harrington RW, Probert MR. Impact of a rigid backbone on the structure of an agostically-stabilised dialkylstannylene: isolation of an unusual bridged stannyl–stannylene. Chemical Communications 2015, 51(4), 679-681.
- Sotelo J, Woodall CH, Allan DR, Gregoryanz E, Howie RT, Kamenev KV, Probert MR, Wright PA, Moggach SA. Locating Gases in Porous Materials: Cryogenic Loading of Fuel- Related Gases Into a Sc-based Metal–Organic Framework under Extreme Pressures. Angewandte Chemie 2015, 127(45), 13530-13534.
- Sotelo J, Woodall CH, Allan DR, Gregoryanz E, Howie RT, Kamenev KV, Probert MR, Wright PA, Moggach SA. Locating Gases in Porous Materials: Cryogenic Loading of Fuel-Related Gases Into a Sc-based Metal-Organic Framework under Extreme Pressures. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2015, 54(45), 13332-13336.
- Alwaaly A, Clegg W, Henderson RA, Probert MR, Waddell PG. Mechanisms and rates of proton transfer to coordinated carboxydithioates: studies on [Ni(S2CR){PhP(CH2CH2PPh2)2}]+ (R = Me, Et, Bun or Ph). Dalton Transactions 2015, 44(7), 3307-3317.
- Izod K, Wills C, El-Hamruni S, Harrington RW, Waddell PG, Probert MR. Structural Diversity in Alkaline Earth Metal Complexes of a Phosphine-Borane-Stabilized 1,3-Dicarbanion. Organometallics 2015, 34(11), 2406-2414.
- Roberts AJ, Clegg W, Kennedy AR, Probert MR, Robertson SD, Hevia E. Two Alternative Approaches to Access Mixed Hydride-Amido Zinc Complexes: Synthetic, Structural and Solution Implications. Dalton Transactions 2015, 44(17), 8196-8177.
- Constantinides CP, Berezin AA, Zissimou GA, Manoli M, Leitus GM, Bendikov M, Probert MR, Rawson JM, Koutentis PA. A Magnetostructural Investigation of an Abrupt Spin Transition for 1-Phenyl-3-trifluoromethyl-1,4-dihydrobenzo[e][1,2,4]triazin-4-yl. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2014, 136(34), 11906-11909.
- Benniston AC, Sirbu D, Turta C, Probert MR, Clegg W. A simple method for desymmetrizing 1,1′-ferrocenedicarboxaldehyde. Tetrahedron Letters 2014, 55(28), 3777-3780.
- Benniston AC, Sirbu D, Turta C, Probert MR, Clegg W. ChemInform Abstract: A Simple Method for Desymmetrizing 1,1′‐Ferrocenedicarboxaldehyde. ChemInform: selected abstracts in chemistry 2014, 45(49).
- Howard JAK, Probert MR. Cutting-Edge Techniques Used for the Structural Investigation of Single Crystals. Science 2014, 343(6175), 1098-1102.
- Lanoe PH, Tong CM, Harrington RW, Probert MR, Clegg W, Williams JAG, Kozhevnikov VN. Ditopic bis-terdentate cyclometallating ligands and their highly luminescent dinuclear iridium(III) complexes. Chemical Communications 2014, 50(52), 6831-6834.
- Davies LH, Wallis JF, Probert MR, Higham LJ. Efficient Multigram Syntheses of Air-Stable, Fluorescent Primary Phosphines via Palladium-Catalyzed Phosphonylation of Aryl Bromides. Synthesis 2014, 46(19), 2622-2626.
- Izod K, Wills C, Anderson E, Harrington RW, Probert MR. Insights into the stability and structures of phosphine-boranes and their α-metalated derivatives. Organometallics 2014, 33(19), 5283-5294.
- Ridout J, Probert MR. Low-temperature and high-pressure polymorphs of isopropyl alcohol. CrystEngComm 2014, 16(32), 7397-7400.
- Doherty S, Knight JG, Ward NAB, Perry DO, Bittner D, Probert MR, Westcott S. Palladium/KITPHOS-Catalysed Suzuki-Miyaura Couplings using 2-Diethylphosphonato-Substituted Aryl and Naphthylboronate Esters as the Nucleophilic Partner: A Complementary Approach to the Synthesis of Biaryl Monophosphonates. Chemical Communications 2014.
- Doherty S, Knight JG, Ward NAB, Perry DO, Bittner DM, Probert MR, Westcott SA. Palladium-Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Couplings with 2-Diethylphosphonato-Substituted Aryl- and Naphthylboronate Esters as the Nucleophilic Partner: A Complementary Approach to the Synthesis of Biaryl Monophosphonates. Organometallics 2014, 33(19), 5209-5219.
- Edkins RM, Probert MR, Robertson CM, Howard JAK, Beeby A. Photocrystallisation of the 2C–2′C dimer of a triphenylimidazolyl radical. RSC Advances 2014, 4(11), 5351-5356.
- Ridout J, Price LS, Howard JAK, Probert MR. Polymorphism Arising from Differing Rates of Compression of Liquids. Crystal Growth & Design 2014, 14(7), 3384-3391.
- Benniston AC, Melnic S, Turta C, Arauzo AB, Bartolomé J, Bartolomé E, Harrington RW, Probert MR. Preparation and Properties of a Calcium(II)-based Molecular Chain Decorated with Manganese(II) Butterfly-like Complexes. Dalton Transations 2014, 43(35), 13349-13357.
- Lee R, Howard JAK, Probert MR, Steed JW. Structure of organic solids at low temperature and high pressure. Chemical Society Reviews 2014, 43(13), 4300-4311.
- Izod K, Wills C, Probert MR, Harrington RW. Synthesis and structure of an acyclic dialkylstannylene. Main Group Metal Chemistry 2014, 37(5-6), 113-117.
- Benniston AC, Sirbu D, Turta C, Probert MR, Clegg W. Synthesis, Molecular Structure and Properties of a Ferrocene-based Difluoropyrrolo-oxaborole Derivative. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2014, 2014(36), 6212-6219.
- Li W, Probert MR, Kosa M, Bennett TD, Thirumurugan A, Burwood RP, Parinello M, Howard JAK, Cheetham AK. Negative Linear Compressibility of a Metal–Organic Framework. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2012, 134(29), 11940-11943.
- Probert MR, Robertson CM, Coome JA, Howard JAK, Michell BC, Goeta AE. The XIPHOS diffraction facility for extreme sample conditions. Journal of Applied Crystallography 2010, 43(6), 1415-1418.
- Anderson KM, Probert MR, Whiteley CN, Rowland AM, Goeta AE, Steed JW. Designing Co-Crystals of Pharmaceutically Relevant Compounds That Crystallize with Z′ > 1. Crystal Growth and Design 2009, 9(2), 1082-1087.
- Winter SM, Cvrkalj K, Dube PA, Robertson CM, Probert MR, Howard JAK, Oakley RT. Metamagnetism in a π-stacked bis-dithiazolyl radical. Chemical Communications 2009, 2009(47), 7306-7308.