Centre staff
Dr Neil Bricklebank
Senior lecturer in inorganic chemistry
Phone 0114 225 4931
Email n.bricklebank@shu.ac.uk
Research interests
Synthetic inorganic chemistry
Our research encompass inorganic and materials chemistry, focusing on the synthesis and characterisation of phosphorus and sulfur compounds and their applications in nanotechnology and biological sciences.
Plant nutrients and fertilizers
Plants require a range of inorganic ions and minerals, particularly phosphate, nitrate, potassium, and other metal ions, for strong and healthy growth and development. We are working with Aquaculture Ltd, a Sheffield-based SME, to develop new and improved nutrients for use in hydroponic systems. Hydroponics, the growth of plants in soilless medium, is an advanced horticultural technique that is used commercially across the world for growing fruit and vegetable crops. Our research in this area is supported by EPSRC.
Biomedical applications of phosphonium compounds
Phosphonium compounds of the type R4P+ (in which four aryl and/or alkyl groups are appended to a central phosphorus atom) are a family of lipophilic cations that are of interest because of their potential applications in biomedical science. We have developed a series of phosphonium zwitterions and salts that can be used to prepare cationically-functionalised nanoparticles. We are investigating the interaction of the phosphonium compounds and functionalised nanoparticles as agents for mitochondria-targeted diagnostics and therapeutics. This work is being carried out in conjunction with Dr Neil Cross.
Inorganic-organic composite materials
Composite materials composed of inorganic compounds and ions embedded in organic species such as natural and synthetic polymers have a host of applications ranging from electro-active species and catalysts to biomedical materials. We are investigating the synthesis of materials containing halogens, especially iodine, for application as antibacterial agents and wound healing.
This work is being carried out in collaboration with Dr Keith Miller, Ms Louise Freeman-Parry and Professor Chris Breen in Sheffield Hallam's Materials and Engineering Research Institute
We are also interested in the role that intermolecular halogen interactions and charge-transfer processes play in the formation of hybrid inorganic-organic electronic materials.
Some of the work on intermolecular interactions is carried out in collaboration with Professor P.J. Skabara at the University of Strathclyde and Professor F.A. Devillanova at the University of Cagliari, Italy.
Funding
- EPSRC
Collaborators
- Professor P.J. Skabara, Department of Chemistry, University of Strathclyde
- Professor F.A. Devillanova and Dr M. Arca, Department of Chemistry, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
- Professor Volkmar Weissig, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, USA
Recent publications
Y. Ju-Nam, D.W. Allen, P.H.E Gardiner, M.E. Light M.B. Hursthouse and N. Bricklebank (2008). Thioacetylalkylphosphonium salts: precursors for the formation of phosphonium functionalised gold nanoparticles. J. Organomet. Chem., 693: 3504 - 3508.
Y. Ju-Nam, D.W. Allen, P.H.E Gardiner, N. Bricklebank, M.E. Light and M.B. Hursthouse (2007). 'The synthesis and characterisation of masked phosphonioalkyl selenoates: Potential ligands for the production of functionalised gold nanoparticles'. J. Organomet. Chem., 692, 5065 - 5070.
Skabara PJ, Kanibolotsky A, Render S, Berridge R, Crouch DJ, Bricklebank N, Coles SJ, Gelbrich T, Hursthouse MB (2007). The Role of Functional Nitro and Cyano Groups in the Self-Assemby of 1,3-Dithiole-2-thione-Halogen Adducts. Heteroatom Chem., 18(2): 176 - 184.
Nam YJ, Bricklebank N, Allen DW, Gardiner PHE, Light ME, Hursthouse MB (2006). Phosphonioalkylthiosulphate zwitterions - new masked thiol ligands for the formation of cationic functionalised gold nanoparticles.Org. Biomol. Chem., 4: 4345 - 4351.
Skabara PJ, Berridge R, Lath H, Coles SJ, Horton PN (2006). Self-assembly of halogen adducts of ester and carboxylic acid functionalised 1,3-dithiole-2-thiones. Polyhedron 25(4): 989-995.
Vale A, Chaure N, Simonds M, Ray AK, Bricklebank N (2006). Sputtered rutile stoichiometric Ti02 nanocrystalline films. Journal of Materials Science - Materials in Electronics 17(10): 851-855.
Bricklebank N, Coles SJ, Forder SD, Hursthouse MB, Poulton A, Skabara PJ. (2005). Diiodine Complex of Diferrocenyl(phenyl)phosphine sulfide: The Structural and Electrochemical Behaviour of Fc2(Ph)P=S.I2. J. Organomet. Chem., 690: 328-332.
Lee L, Crouch DJ, Wright SP, Berridge R, Skabara PJ, Bricklebank N, Coles SJ, Light ME, Hursthouse MB. (2004). Supramolecular polymers of 4,5-bis(bromomethyl)-1,3-dithiole-2-thione-dihalogen adducts. Crystal Engineering Communications, 9, 612-617.
Allen DW, Berridge R, Bricklebank N, Forder SD, Palacio F, Coles SJ, Hursthouse MB, Skabara PJ. (2003). Structural and Magnetic Properties of a Novel Ferrocenyl-Diiodine Charge-Transfer Complex. Inorganic Chemistry, 42: 3975-3977.
Bricklebank N, Pryke A. (2002). 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidin-1-ylthiyl, the sulfur analogue of TEMPO, as an initiator for the controlled radical polymerisation of styrene. J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 2048 - 2051.
Allen DW, Berridge R, Bricklebank N, Cerrada E, Light ME, Hursthouse MB, Laguna M, Moreno A, Skabara PJ. (2002). A new family of sulfur-rich ligands based on the dmit system: synthesis and metal complexation of 4-4'-covalently bridged bis(2-thioxo-1,3-dithiol-5-thiolato) units. J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans, 2654-2659.
Apperley DC, Bricklebank N, Hursthouse MB, Light ME, Coles SJ (2001). Vibrational, 31P NMR and crystallographic studies of diiodine adducts of some bidentate tertiary phosphine sulfides. Polyhedron, 1907-1913.
Berridge R, Bricklebank N, Allen DW, Skabara PJ, Malik KMA, Coles SJ, Hursthouse MB (2001). Novel transition metal complexes based on covalently linked DMIT systems. Synthetic Metals, 120: 1023-1024.
Reviews
Bricklebank N (2005). Ylides and Related Species. pages 316 - 340, in 'Specialist Periodic Reports: Organophosphorus Chemistry', vol 34. Ed Allen DW and Tebby JC. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge.
Bricklebank N (2003). Ylides and Related Species. pages 289 - 320, in 'Specialist Periodic Reports: Organophosphorus Chemistry', vol 33. Ed. Allen DW and Tebby JC. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge.
Bricklebank N. (2002). Dihalogen Adducts of Sulfur and Selenium Donors. Recent Developments in Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry. 25-35.
Bricklebank N (2002). Ylides and Related Species. pages 157 - 187 in 'Specialist Periodic Reports: Organophosphorus Chemistry', vol 32. Ed. Allen DW and Tebby JC. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge.
Bricklebank N (2001). Ylides and Related Species. page 219 - 248 in 'Specialist Periodic Reports: Organophosphorus Chemistry', vol 31. Ed. Allen DW and Tebby JC. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge.
Book publications
Bricklebank N. (2010) 'Synthesis of metal nanoparticle-based intracellular biosensors and therapeutic agents', in Organelle-Specific Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Ed. V. Weissig and G. D'Souza, John Wiley & Son Inc., Chapter 10, 73 - 91. ISBN 978-0-470-63165-2.
PhD students
- Callie Seaman 'Investigation of nutrient solutions for the hydroponic growth of plants'
- Yu-Su Chen'Phosphonium-functionalised gold nanoparticles for mitochondria targeted therapeutics'
