University of Otago, New Zealand

Chemistry

Te Tari Hua-Ruanuku

Dr James D. Crowley

contact photo
Dr James D. Crowley
Synthetic Chemistry
Tel: (03) 479 7731
Location: Science II, 2n10
jcrowley@chemistry.otago.ac.nz

Employment History and Qualifications

Senior Lecturer, University of Otago2011-
Lecturer, University of Otago2008–2011
British Ramsay Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow (with Prof. D. A. Leigh, FRS), University of Edinburgh2006–2007
Postdoctoral Fellow (with Prof. D. A. Leigh, FRS), University of Edinburgh2005–2006
S.M and Ph.D, The University of Chicago (Prof. B Bosnich, FRS)2000-2005
B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc., Victoria University of Wellington (Dr. D. C. Weatherburn)1994-1999

Awards and Distinctions

University of Otago Early Career Award for Distinction in Research
2011
British Ramsay Memorial Fellowship (U of Ed.)2006-2008
Joan Shiu Award for Student Service, (U of C)2004
Curtis-Gordon Scholarship for Chemistry (VUW)1998

Relevant Disciplines

Organic / Inorganic / Organometallic / Materials / Supramolecular Chemistry / Nanoscience

My research interests are in synthetic organic, inorganic, organometallic and supramolecular chemistry. I am interested in the design and synthesis of new functional materials. I have expertise in a wide range of synthetic and spectroscopic techniques including NMR, IR, UV-vis and X-ray crystallography. Major areas of interest include:

CuAAC “Click” coordination chemistry. The mild and modular Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-cycloaddition of terminal alkynes with organic azides (the CuAAC “click” reaction) allows the ready formation of functionalised 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole scaffolds and this has led to an explosion of interest in the coordination chemistry of these heterocycles. A diverse array of mono-, bi-, tri- and polydentate ligands incorporating 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole units have been synthesised and characterised. Easy access to readily functionalised ligand architectures is of crucial importance in a range of different areas and we are exploiting these ligands for the development of new catalysts, metallo-pharmaceuticals, bio-imaging agents, metallosupramolecular architectures, and molecular machines.

ligands to self-assemble dipalladium(II) coordinatively saturated, quadruply stranded helicate cages

J. D. Crowley, E. L. Gavey "Use of di-1,4-substituted-1,2,3-triazole “click” ligands to self-assemble dipalladium(II) coordinatively saturated, quadruply stranded helicate cages" Dalton Trans. 2010, 39, 4035-4037; DOI: 10.1039/c003683h.

Synthetic molecular machines (nanotechnology). It is well established that the fundamental processes of life at the cellular level are governed by complex biological molecular machines which convert chemical energy into work. My research group is interested in exploiting a range of interlocked and non-interlocked molecular architectures for the development of synthetic molecular machines. These efforts are motivated by the goal of creating synthetic devices or materials that, like their far more complex biological counterparts, could carry out tasks by exploiting controlled molecular-level mechanical motion; a key requirement for the development of useable nanotechnology.

Functional metallosupramolecular architectures. I am also interested in the engineering of functional molecular architectures via self-assembly. In particular we are attempting to exploit these self-assembled cages as novel metallo-pharmaceuticals, for drug delivery and as nanoreactors for carrying out chemical transformations.

J. E. M. Lewis, E. L. Gavey, S. A. Cameron, J. D. Crowley "Stimuli-Responsive Pd2L4 Metallosupramolecular Cages: Towards Targeted Cisplatin Drug Delivery" Chem. Sci. 2012, 3, 778-784; DOI: 10.1039/C2SC00899H.

Current Group

PhD Students

John Cubanski (co-supervisor with Assoc. Prof. A. Blackman), 2010-

Asif Noor, (co-supervisor with Assoc. Prof. S. Moratti), 2010-

Jamie Lewis, 2011-

Warrick Lo, (co-supervisor with Assoc. Prof. A. Blackman), 2011-

Sreedhar Vellas, 2011-

James Wright, (co-supervisor with Dr. N. T. Lucas), 2012-

Synøve Scott, 2012-

MSc Students

Tae Kim, (co-supervisor with Dr. N. T. Lucas), 2012-

Daniel Maloney, 2013-

BSc (Honours)

Daniel Preston, BSc (Honours), 2013,

Geoffrey Weal, BSc (Honours), 2013,

Past group members

Martin Gower, BSc (Honours), 2009.

Emma Gavey, BSc (Honours), 2010. Emma was awarded PhD scholarship to study Chemistry at Brock University, Ontario, Canada.

Courtney Keep, PGDipSci Student, 2010.

Synøve Scott, BSc (Honours), 2011. Synøve was awarded a University of Otago PhD scholarship to study in my group.

James Wright, BSc (Honours), 2011. James was awarded a Department of Chemistry PhD scholarship to study with myself and N. T. Lucas.

Christopher Anderson, BSc (Honours), 2012.

Karl Shaffer, Post-doctoral Fellow, September 2011-April 2012.

Kelly J Kilpin, Post-doctoral Fellow, August 2009-August 2010. At the end of her time in the Crowley group Kelly received a New Zealand Science and Technology Postdoctoral Fellowship to move to Paul Dyson’s group at Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.


Pauline Bandeen, Research Assistant, May 2008-June 2009.

Crowley group publications

ResearcherID:    A-8627-2010
http://www.researcherid.com/rid/A-8627-2010

Book Chapters

  1. J. D. Crowley, D. A. McMorran "Click-triazole" coordination chemistry: Exploiting 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles as ligands" Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry, 2012, DOI: 10.1007/7081_2011_67 (Invited Review Chapter, “Click Triazoles” special issue).
  2. J. D. Crowley, K. J. Kilpin, C. C. Keep “Exploiting Ferrocene to Develop Synthetic Molecular Machines" in Ferrocenes: Compounds, Properties and Applications, Phillips, E. S. (ed), Nova Science Publishers, NY, 2011, pp 149-189, ISBN-13: 978-1617618802. (Invited Review Chapter).

Refereed Journal Articles

  1. J. R. Cubanski, S. A. Cameron, J. D. Crowley A. G. Blackman "Low Symmetry Pyrazole-Based Tripodal Tetraamine Ligands: Metal Complexes and Ligand Decomposition Reactions" Dalton Trans. 2013, 42, 2174-2185; DOI: 10.1039/C2DT32200E.
  2. C. B. Anderson, A. B. S. Elliott, C. J. McAdam, K. C. Gordon, J. D. Crowley "fac-Re(CO)3Cl complexes of [2-(4-R-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl]pyridine inverse “click” ligands: A systematic synthetic, spectroscopic and computational study" Organometallics 2013, 32, 788–797; DOI: 10.1021/om300868k.
  3. T. Y. Kim, A. B. S. Elliott, K. J. Shaffer, C. J. McAdam, K. C. Gordon, J. D. Crowley "Rhenium(I) complexes of readily functionalized bidentate pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole “click” ligands: A Systematic Synthetic, Spectroscopic and Computational Study" Polyhedron 2013, DOI:10.1016/j.poly.2012.05.003. (Invited article, “100th Anniversary of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Alfred Werner: A Celebration” special issue).
  4. C. B. Anderson, A. B. S. Elliott, J. E. M. Lewis, C. J. McAdam, K. C. Gordon, J. D. Crowley "fac-Re(CO)3 complexes of 2,6-bis(4-substituted-1,2,3-triazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine “click” ligands: synthesis, characterisation and photophysical properties" Dalton Trans. 2012, 41, 14625-14632; DOI: 10.1039/c2dt31569f.
  5. A. Noor, J. E. M. Lewis, S. A. Cameron, S. C. Moratti, J. D. Crowley "A multicomponent CuAAC “click” approach to an exo functionalised pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole macrocycle: Synthesis, characterisation, Cu(I) and Ag(I) complexes" Supramol. Chem. 2012, 24, 492-498; DOI:10.1080/10610278.2012.688126. (Invited article, ISMSC-7 theme issue, on the Supramol. Chem. most read (downloaded) list.).
  6. J. R. Wright, K. J. Shaffer, C. J. McAdam, J. D. Crowley "3,5-Diferrocenylpyridine: synthesis, characterisation, palladium(II) dichloride complex and electrochemistry" Polyhedron 2012, 36, 73-78; DOI:10.1016/j.poly.2012.01.028.
  7. J. E. M. Lewis, E. L. Gavey, S. A. Cameron, J. D. Crowley "Stimuli-Responsive Pd2L4 Metallosupramolecular Cages: Towards Targeted Cisplatin Drug Delivery" Chem. Sci. 2012, 3, 778-784; DOI: 10.1039/C2SC00899H. One of the most downloaded articles in Chemical Science for December 2011 and highlighted on the Chemical Science blog, http://blogs.rsc.org/sc/2011/12/21/trapping-cisplatin-in-a-metallocage/.
  8. J. D. Crowley, A-L. Lee, K. J. Kilpin "1,3,4-Trisubtituted-1,2,3-Triazol-5-ylidene “Click” Carbene Ligands: Synthesis, Catalysis and Self-Assembly" Aust. J. Chem. 2011, 64, 1118-1132; DOI: 10.1071/CH11185 (Invited review article, NHC special issue, on the Aust. J. Chem. most read (downloaded) list.).
  9. K. J. Kilpin, E. L. Gavey, C. John McAdam, C. B. Anderson, S. J. Lind, C. C. Keep, K. C. Gordon, J. D. Crowley "Palladium(II) complexes of readily functionalized bidentate 2-pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole “click” ligands: A Synthetic, Structural, Spectroscopic and Computational Study." Inorg. Chem. 2011, 50, 6334-6346; DOI: 10.1021/ic200789b
  10. S. Ø. Scott, E. L. Gavey, S. J. Lind, K. C. Gordon, J. D. Crowley "Self-Assembled Palladium(II) “Click” Cages: Synthesis, Structural Modification and Stability" Dalton Trans. 2011, 40, 12117-12124; DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10551E (Invited article, Self Assembly in Inorganic Chemistry theme issue
  11. K. J. Kilpin, M. L. Gower, S. G. Telfer, G. B. Jameson, J. D. Crowley "Towards the self-assembly of metal-organic nanotubes using metal-metal and π-stacking interactions: Bis(pyridylethynyl) silver(I) metallomacrocycles and coordination polymers" Inorg. Chem. 2011, 50, 1123-1134; DOI: 10.1021/ic1020059. (Front Cover Feature)
  12. K. J. Kilpin, U. S. D. Paul, A-L. Lee, J. D. Crowley, "Gold(I) “Click” 1,2,3-Triazolylidenes: Synthesis, Self-Assembly and Catalysis" Chem Commun. 2011, 47, 328-330; DOI: 10.1039/c0cc02185g (Invited article, Emerging Investigators theme issue, selected to be one of 100 free research articles from RSC Journals featured in Gold: Science, Technology and Applications web list http://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/articlecollectionlanding?sercode=cc&themeid=gold_2011_theme).
  13. K. J. Kilpin, J. D. Crowley "Palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes of bidentate 2-pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole "click" ligands: Synthesis, properties and X-ray structures." Polyhedron 2010, 29, 3111-3117; DOI: 10.1016/j.poly.2010.08.02.
  14. K. J. Kilpin, R. Horvath, G. B. Jameson, S. G. Telfer, K. C. Gordon, J. D. Crowley "Pyridyl gold(I) alkynyls: A Synthetic, Structural, Spectroscopic and Computational Study" Organometallics 2010, 29, 6186-6195; DOI: 10.1021/om1003978.
  15. J. D. Crowley, E. L. Gavey "Use of di-1,4-substituted-1,2,3-triazole “click” ligands to self-assemble dipalladium(II) coordinatively saturated, quadruply stranded helicate cages" Dalton Trans. 2010, 39, 4035-4037; DOI: 10.1039/c003683h.
  16. M. L. Gower, J. D. Crowley "Self-assembly of silver(I) metallomacrocycles using unsupported 1,4-substituted-1,2,3-triazole “Click” ligands" Dalton Trans. 2010, 39, 2371-2378; DOI: 10.1039/b923211g.
  17. J. D. Crowley, P. H. Bandeen "A multicomponent CuAAC “click” approach to a library of hybrid polydentate 2-pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole ligands: New building blocks for the generation of metallosupramolecular architectures" Dalton Trans. 2010, 39, 612-623; DOI: 10.1039/b911276f.
  18. J. D. Crowley, P. H. Bandeen, L. R. Hanton "A one pot multi-component CuAAC “click” approach to bidentate and tridentate pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole ligands: Synthesis, X-ray structures and copper(II) and silver(I) complexes" Polyhedron 2010, 29, 70-83; DOI: 10.1016/j.poly.2009.06.010. (Invited article, 2009 Young Investigator Special Issue, one of the ScienceDirect top 25 hottest (downloaded) articles in Polyhedron for January-March, April-June, July-September, October-December 2010, January-March, April-June and July-September, October-December 2011 and January-March 2012. 3rd “hottest” article in Polyhedron for the October 2009-September 2010 Academic Year, 7th “hottest” article in Polyhedron for the January-December 2011 Full Year. 3rd most cited article in Polyhedron since 2008).
  19. J. D. Crowley, S. M. Goldup, A-L. Lee, D. A. Leigh, R. T. McBurney "Active metal template synthesis of rotaxanes, catenanes and molecular shuttles" Chem. Soc. Rev. 2009, 38, 1530–1541; DOI: 10.1039/b804243h
  20. J. D. Crowley, P. H. Bandeen, L. R. Hanton "1-(3-Bromopropyl)-4-(2-pyridyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole" Acta Cryst. 2009, E65, o999–o1000; DOI: 10.1107/S1600536809012148.