Mechanistic studies of organo-palladium and platinum species are being undertaken with a view to understanding C-H activation processes. In addition, organometallic liquid crystals based on platinum and palladium are being studied. Fundamental studies on the chemistry and properties of chemically modified graphene and graphene oxide are also being undertaken.

Deoxygenation of Graphene Oxide: Reduction or Cleaning? H R Thomas, S P Day, W E Woodruff, C Vallés, R J Young, I A Kinloch, G W Morley, J V Hanna, N R Wilson and J P Rourke. Chem. Mater., 2013, 25, 3580-3588. Relieving steric strain at octahedral Pt(IV): Isomerisation and reductive coupling of alkyl and aryl chlorides. S H Crosby, G J Clarkson and J P Rourke. Organometallics, 2012, 31, 7256–7263. Identifying the fluorescence of graphene oxide H R Thomas, C Vallés, I A Kinloch, R J Young, N R Wilson and J P Rourke. J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013, 1, 338-342. Concerted reductive coupling of an alkyl chloride at Pt(IV) S H Crosby, H R Thomas, G J Clarkson and J P Rourke, Chem. Comm., 2012, 48, 5775-5777. A Palladium(II) agostic complex: exchange of aryl-Pd and alkyl-Pd bonds H R Thomas, R J Deeth, G J Clarkson and J P Rourke. Organometallics, 2011, 30, 5641-5648. Reactions of a Pt(II) agostic complex: de-cyclometallation, di-cyclometallation and solvent switchable formation of a roll-over complex S H Crosby, G J Clarkson and J P Rourke, Organometallics, 2011, 30, 3603-3609. The real graphene oxide revealed: stripping the oxidative debris from the graphene-like sheets J P Rourke, P A Pandey, J J Moore, M Bates, I A Kinloch, R J Young and N R Wilson, Angew. Chem., 2011, 50, 3173-3177. Platinum(IV) DMSO complexes: Synthesis, isomerisation and agostic intermediates S H Crosby, G J Clarkson, R J Deeth and J P Rourke, Organometallics, 2010, 29, 1966-1976. A delicate balance between sp2 and sp3 C-H bond activation: a Pt(II) complex with a dual agostic interaction. S.H. Crosby, G.J. Clarkson, J.P. Rourke, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 14142-14143.