Inorganic Electrochemistry |
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Paul Murray
Development of spectroelectrochemical techniques. Investigations into the electrochemistry of Nitrated polypyridine ligands and complexes. Public communication of Science.
My Project
At the moment, we can can do experiments combining electrochemistry (oxidation/reduction) with UV/Vis/NIR (electron energy levels) and EPR (molecular orbital strucure and electron densities) spectroscopies. Thus we can can record the UV/Vis/NIR and X-band EPR spectra of redox products generated in the sepctrochemical cell using electrochemistry.
The on-going challenge is to develop more techniques. Recently, I've managed to develop a system to combine Q-band EPR spectroscopy and electrochemistry. The challenge is to make electrodes small enough to fit into the Q-band EPR cell which has a diameter of ~2 mm. This has been done using PTFE coated Pt and Ag wires and stripping the PTFE off at different levels (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1 - The In-Situ Q-band EPR cell and electrodes
Thus, the electrodes are small enough to fit into the Q-band cell and it should be easy to miniturise the system further for W-band EPR spectroscopy. We are looking to develop a system for IR spectroscopy.
Work is also continuing into the electrochemical properties of bpy ligands substituted with NO2 groups such as 4-NO2-bpy. Such compound are very easily reducible and could be used in the future as tunable solar cell dyes. The solvents used for the study of NO2 compounds has found to be of vital importance due to specific solvent interactions. Investigation into the nature these interactions is on-going.
Fig. 2 - 4-NO2-bpy
About Me
I was born in Deep River, Canada but brought over to Scotland six months later to be brought up in Penicuik. I'm proudly a former pupil of Eastfield and Cuiken primary schools and Penicuik High School where I was taught Chemistry by the dynamic duo of Trish Nicol and Liz Cairns. Not only were my teachers excellent at passing on information, they were also excellent Chemistry "performers" and this is what inspired me to take chemistry further and later to get involved in public communication of science. As well as being a part-time researcher, I am also part of the infamous Chemical Connection project. Outside of Chemistry I am an extremely keen fiddle, bodhran and mandolin player and I am also a singer. I can often be found trying to enthuse people about traditional music as part of the Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin, EUFolkSoc or the annual Tinto Summer School.
Salma Al-Musharafy - Rakesh Barik - Sandy Delf - Calum Findlay - Lucy Moorcraft - Paul Murray - Lesley Yellowlees
School of Chemistry, Joseph Black Building
King`s Buildings, West Mains Road
Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ
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