Professor Sally Brooker

Research interests

My research group is currently working in the following areas:

1. Unsymmetrical polynucleating macrocycles
2. Heterocycle-containing ligands - towards nanoswitches and memory devices - spin crossover complexes
3. Self-assembly of communicating arrays of transition metal ions - grids vs side-by-side complexes
4. Thiolate-containing ligands - models for hydrogenases (H₂ = 2H⁺ + 2e^-)
5. The oxygen evolving complex of green plants (2H₂O = O₂ + 4H⁺ + 4e^-), in collaboration with Dr J. Eaton-Rye (Biochemistry)
6. Lanthanide cages as a new generation of luminescent ‘probes’, in collaboration with Drs Jean Fleming (Anatomy and Structural Biology) and Sally McCormick (Biochemistry).

Get more information about these research interests.

Recent publications

2010 (To Date)

• Olguin, J. and Brooker, S., Spin crossover active iron(II) complexes of selected pyrazole-pyridine/pyrazine ligands, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, released on web (Aug 2010).
• Kitchen, J.A., Milway, V.A., Jameson, G.N.L., Tallon, J.L., Brooker S., When three is better than one: the first trinuclear complexes of N⁴-substituted-3,5-dipyridyl-1,2,4-triazole ligands, [Fe^II₃(Rdpt)₄(NCS)₆], Dalton Transactions, 39, 7637-7639 (2010). DOI: 10.1039/c0dt00716a
• Handel, R.W., Willms, H., Jameson, G.B., Berry, K.J., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S. and Brooker, S., Factors influencing the structural and magnetic properties of octahedral cobalt(II) and iron(II) complexes of terdentate N₃ Schiff base ligands, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 3317-3327 (2010). DOI: 10.1002/ejic.201000288.
• Kitchen, J.A., White, N.G., Gandolfi, C., Albrecht, M., Jameson, G.N.L., Tallon, J.L., Brooker S., Room temperature spin crossover and Langmuir-Blodgett film formation of an iron(II) triazole complex featuring a long alkyl chain substituent: the tail that wags the dog, Chemical Communications, 46, 6464-6466 (2010). DOI: 10.1039/c0cc01008a
• Kitchen, J.A., Jameson, G.N.L., Tallon, J.L., and Brooker, S., Spin crossover in co-crystallised 2:1 cis:trans [Fe^II(pldpt)₂(NCS)₂] occurs only in ¹⁄₃ of the iron centres, Chemical Communications, 46, 3200-3202 (2010). DOI: 10.1039/B927036A.
• Kitchen, J.A. and Brooker, S., Two dicobalt(III) complexes of triazolate-containing [2+2] Schiff-base macrocycles coordinate thiocyanate ions via the sulphur atom, Dalton Transactions, 39, 3358-3360 (2010), and front cover feature. DOI: 10.1039/B925745D.
• Noble, A., Olguin, J., Clérac, R., and Brooker, S., Doubly pyrazolate-bridged dinuclear complexes of a highly constrained bis-terdentate ligand: observation of a [HS-LS] state for [Fe^II₂(PMAP)₂][SbF₆]₂·2.25(C₃H₈O) (PMAP = 3,5-bis{[N-(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]methyl}-1H-pyrazolate), Inorganic Chemistry, 49, 4560-4569 (2010). DOI: 10.1021/ic1001013
• Price, J.R., Lan, Y., Moubaraki, B., Murray K.S. and Brooker, S., Doubly pyridazine-bridged dicobalt(II) and dinickel(II) side-by-side complexes of variously substituted conjugated bis-bidentate ligands, Australian Journal of Chemistry (invited contribution to a special Southern Highlands Conference on Heterocyclic Chemistry issue, refereed as usual), 63, 779–784 (2010). DOI:10.1071/CH09614.
• Feltham, H.L.C., Clérac, R. and Brooker, S., Octa- and hendanuclear zinc(II) complexes of an acyclic diimine ligand derived from 1,4-diformyl-2,3-dihydroxybenzene, Polyhedron, 29, 1353-1357 (2010). DOI:10.1016/j.poly.2009.12.027
• Kitchen, J.A., Larsen, D.S. and Brooker, S., Alkylations of N⁴-(4-pyridyl)-3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole: first observation of room-temperature rearrangement of an N⁴-substituted-triazole to the N¹-analogue, Chemistry – An Asian Journal, 5, 910-918 (2010). DOI: 10.1002/asia.200900485
• White, N.G., Feltham, H.L.C., Gandolfi, C., Albrecht, M., and Brooker, S., Towards Langmuir-Blodgett films of magnetically interesting materials: solution equilibria in amphiphilic iron(II) complexes of a triazole-containing ligand, Dalton Transactions, 39, 3751-3758 (2010). DOI: 10.1039/b923923e.

2009

• Feltham, H.L.C., Larsen, D.S., and Brooker, S., A hexanuclear iron(III) complex of an acyclic hexadentate fully conjugated diimine ligand derived from 1,4-diformyl-2,3-dihydroxybenzene, New Journal of Chemistry, 33, 2001-2003 (2009). Subsequently identified as one of the top 10 most accessed papers in NJC in October 2009.
• Feltham, H.L.C., Clérac, R., and Brooker, S., A tetranuclear mixed-valence manganese complex of a diimine ligand derived from 1,4-diformyl-2,3-dihydroxybenzene: synthesis, structure and magnetic properties, Australian Journal of Chemistry (invited contribution to a special Research Front in Supramolecular Magnetic Materials issue), 62, 1119-1123 (2009).
• Brooker, S., and Kitchen, J.A., Nano-magnetic materials: spin crossover compounds vs. single molecule magnets vs. single chain magnets, Dalton Transactions (invited Frontier Article, refereed as usual), 7331-7340 (2009), and front cover feature.
• Li, R., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S. and Brooker, S., Monomeric and dimeric copper(II) complexes of a pyrrole-containing tridentate Schiff-base ligand, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2851-2859 (2009).
• Kitchen, J.A., White, N.G., Boyd, M., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S., Boyd, P.D.W., and Brooker, S., Iron(II) tris-[N4-substituted-3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole] complexes: structural, magnetic, NMR and density functional theory studies, Inorganic Chemistry, 48, 6670-6679 (2009).
• Feltham, H.L.C., Clérac, R., and Brooker, S., Hexa-, hepta- and dodeca-nuclear nickel(II) complexes of three Schiff-base ligands derived from 1,4-diformyl-2,3-dihydroxybenzene, Dalton Transactions, 2965-2973 (2009).
• White, N.G., Kitchen, J.A. and Brooker, S., A structural investigation of anion-triazole interactions: observation of `π-pockets´ and `π-sandwiches´, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 1172-1180 (2009).
• Hellyer, R.M., Larsen, D.S. and Brooker, S., Cobalt and silver complexes of terdentate pyrazine-based amide ligands and assembly of monocobalt building blocks via a silver connector, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 1162-1171 (2009).
• Lan, Y., Novitchi, G., Clérac, R., Tang, J.K., Madhu, N.T., Hewitt, I.J., Anson, C.E., Brooker, S. and Powell, A.K., Di-, tetra- and hexanuclear iron(III), manganese(II/III) and copper(II) complexes of Schiff-base ligands derived from 6-substituted-2-formylphenols, Dalton Transactions, 1721-1727 (2009), and front cover feature.
• Feltham, H.L.C. and Brooker, S., Ligands and polymetallic complexes derived from 1,4-diformyl-2,3-dihydroxybenzene and two close analogues, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 253, 1458-1475 (2009).

2008

• Price, J.R., White, N.G., Perez-Velasco, A., Jameson, G.B., Hunter, C.A. and Brooker, S., Factors influencing tetranuclear [2 x 2] grid vs. dinuclear side-by-side structures for silver(I) complexes of pyridazine-based bis-bidentate ligands, Inorganic Chemistry, 47, 10729-10738 (2008).
• Jordon, D.K., Kitchen, J.A, Hegh, D.Y., Brooker, S. and Tan, E.W., 1-Tetradecylpyridinium bromidemonohydrate, Acta Crystallographica E, o2457 (2008).
• Kitchen, J.A., Noble, A., Brandt, C.D., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S. and Brooker, S., High and low spin mononuclear and dinuclear iron(II) complexes of 4-amino and 4-pyrrolyl-3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazoles, Inorganic Chemistry, 47, 9450-9458 (2008).
• Li, R., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S. and Brooker, S., Monomeric, dimeric and 1D chain polymeric copper(II) complexes of a pyrrole-containing tridentate Schiff-base ligand and its 4-brominated analogue, Dalton Transactions, 6014-6022 (2008).
• Kitchen J.A., Brooker S. Spin crossover in iron(II) complexes of 3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazoles and 3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazolates, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 252, 2072-2092 (2008).
• Bhattacharjee, A.., Ksenofontov, V., Kitchen, J.A., White, N.G., Brooker, S. and Gütlich, P., Effect of pressure and light on the spin transition behaviour of the dinuclear iron(II) compound [FeII₂(PMAT)₂](BF₄)₄·DMF, Applied Physics Letters, 92, 174104-1 to 174104-3 (2008).
• Grunert, C.M., Reiman, S., Spiering, H., Kitchen, J.A., Brooker, S. and Gütlich, P., Mixed spin-state [HS-LS] pairs in a dinuclear spin-transition complex: confirmation by variable temperature ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 47, 2997-2999, and front cover feature (2008).

2007

• Croucher, P.D., Klingele, M.H., Noble, A. and Brooker, S., Tricopper(II) complexes of unsymmetrical macrocycles incorporating phenol and pyridine moieties: the development of two stepwise routes, Dalton Transactions , 4000-4007 (2007). “One of Dalton Transactions' most highly rated articles”, i.e. “hottest science, as recommended by the referees” and subsequently identified as the second most downloaded paper in September.
• Price, J.R., Lan Y., Brooker, S. Pyridazine-bridged copper(I) complexes of bis-bidentate ligands: tetranuclear [2 x 2] grid versus dinuclear side-by-side architectures as a function of ligand substituents, Dalton Transactions, 1807-1820 and front cover feature (2007). “One of Dalton Transactions' most highly rated articles”, i.e. “hottest science, as recommended by the referees””, top 10 downloaded paper in May 2007, and front cover feature.
• Hellyer, R.M., Joule, J.A., Larsen, D.S. and Brooker, S., N⁴(Pyrrol-1-yl)-1,2,4-triazole, Acta Crystallographica, C63, o358-o360 (2007).
• Klingele (nee Hausmann), J., Boas, J.F., Pilbrow, J.R., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S., Berry, K.J., Hunter, K.A., Jameson, G.B., Boyd, P.D.W.and Brooker, S.,A [2 × 2] nickel(ii) grid and a copper(ii) square result from differing binding modes of a pyrazine-based diamide ligand, Dalton Transactions, 633-645 (2007); and front cover feature. “One of Dalton Transactions’ most highly rated articles”, i.e. “hottest science, as recommended by the referees”.
• de Geest, D. J., Noble, A., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S., Larsen, D.S. and Brooker, S., Dicopper(II) complexes of a new pyrazolate-containing Schiff-base macrocycle and related acyclic ligand, Dalton Transactions, 467-475 (2007).
• Brandt, C.D., Kitchen, J.A., Beckmann, U., White, N.G, Jameson, G.B. and Brooker, S., Synthesis and structures of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-triazole head units and incorporation of 3,5-dibenzoyl-1,2,4-triazolate into new [2+2] Schiff-base macrocyclic complexes, Supramolecular Chemistry (invited contribution to a special International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry issue, refereed as usual), 19, 17-27, and contribution to front cover feature (2007).
• Klingele, M.H., Noble, A., Boyd, P.D.W. and Brooker, S., Synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of some mononuclear and dinuclear complexes of 4-isobutyl-3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole, Polyhedron (invited contribution to a special Modern Inorganic Chemistry in Australia and New Zealand issue, refereed as usual), 26, 479-485 (2007).

2006

• Price, J.R., Lan, Y., Jameson, G.B. and Brooker, S., Control of molecular architecture by steric and electronic factors: dinuclear side-by-side vs tetranuclear [2x2] grid-type silver(I) complexes, Dalton Transactions, 1491-1494, and front cover feature (2006).
• Beckmann, U. and Brooker, S., 1:1 Adduct of (S,S)-4-amino-3,5-bis(1-hydroxyethyl)-1,2,4-triazole with (S,S)-1,2-bislactoyl-hydrazine stabilized by eight hydrogen bonds, Acta Crystallographica,C62, o653-o655 (2006).
• Klingele, M.H., Boyd, P.D.W, Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S. and Brooker, S., Probing the dinucleating behaviour of a bis-bidentate ligand: synthesis and characterisation of some mono- and dinuclear cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes of 3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-4-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 573-589 (2006).
• Mulhern, D., Brooker, S., Görls H., Rau, S. and Vos, J.G., Synthesis of mononuclear and dinuclear ruthenium(II) tris(heteroleptic) complexes via photosubstitution in bis(carbonyl) precursors, Dalton Transactions, 51-57 (2006).
• Mulhern, D., Lan, Y., Brooker, S., Gallagher, J.F., Görls, H., Rau, S. and Vos, J.G., Synthesis and characterisation of a series of mononuclear ruthenium(II) carbonyl complexes of heterocycle-based asymmetric bidentate ligands, Inorganica Chimica Acta, 359, 736-744(2006).

2005

• Weitzer, M. and Brooker, S., Dimetallic complexes of a structurally versatile pyridazine-containing Schiff-base macrocyclic ligand with pendant pyridine arms, Dalton Transactions, 2448-2454 (2005).
• Klingele, M.H., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S. and Brooker, S., Synthesis and some first-row transition metal complexes of the 1,2,4-triazole-based bis-terdentate ligands TsPMAT and PMAT, Chemistry – A European Journal, 6962-6973(2005).
• Klingele (nee Hausmann), J., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S., Boas, J.F. and Brooker, S., Dinuclear copper(II) complexes of two homologous pyrazine-based bis-terdentate diamide ligands, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 1530-1541 (2005).
• Hewitt, I.J., Tang, J.-K., Madhu, N.T., Pilawa, B., Anson, C.E., Brooker, S. and Powell, A.K., Iron(III) activation hits a [4+4] macrocycle, Dalton Transactions, 429-432 (2005).
• Klingele, M.H., Boyd, P.D.W, Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S. and Brooker, S., First complexes of a 4-alkyl-3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole: synthesis, X-ray crystal structures and magnetic properties of dinuclear cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of 4-isobutyl-3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 910-918 (2005).
• Klingele, M.H., Moubaraki, B., Cashion, J.D., Murray, K.S. and Brooker, S., The first X-ray crystal structure determination of a dinuclear complex trapped in the [low spin-high spin] state: [FeII2(PMAT)2](BF4)4·DMF, Chemical Communications, 987-989, identified as a “hot paper” (top 10%) and featured on the front cover of issue 8, February (2005).

2004

• Li, R., Evans, L.S., Larsen, D.S., Gale, P.A. and Brooker, S., Synthesis and anion binding behaviour of diamide derivatives of pyrrole-2,5-diacetic acid, New Journal of Chemistry, 1340-1343 (2004). One of the “top three” papers in this journal in November 2004.
• Brandt, C.D., Plieger, P.G., Kelly, R.J., de Geest, D.J., Kennepohl, D.K., Iremonger, S.S., Brooker, S., Dinickel(II), dizinc(II) and dilead(II) complexes of a pyridazine-containing Schiff-base macrocycle, Inorganica Chimica Acta, 357, 4265-4272 (2004).
• Klingele, M.H., Brooker, S., From N-substituted thioamides to symmetrical and unsymmetrical 3,4,5-trisubstituted 4H-1,2,4-triazoles: synthesis and characterisation of new chelating ligands, European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 3422-3434 (2004).
• Hausmann, J., Brooker, S., Control of molecular architecture by use of the appropriate ligand isomer: a mononuclear “corner-type” versus a tetranuclear [2 X 2] grid-type cobalt(III) complex, Chemical Communications, 1530-1531 (2004).
• Plieger, P.G., Downard, A.J., Moubaraki, B., Murray K.S., and Brooker, S., Dimetallic complexes of acyclic pyridine-armed ligands derived from 3,6-diformylpyridazine, Dalton Transactions, 2157-2165 (2004).
• Klingele, M.H., and Brooker, S., Two forms of a copper(II) complex of 3-phenyl-5-(2-pyridyl)-4-(4-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole: a six-coordinate monomer versus a five coordinate polymer, Inorganica Chimica Acta, 357, 3413-3417 (2004).
• Li, R., Mulder, T.A., Beckmann, U., Boyd, P.D.W. and Brooker, S., Dicopper(II) and dinickel(II) complexes of Schiff-base macrocycles derived from 5,5-dimethyl-1,9-diformyldipyrromethane, Inorganica Chimica Acta, 357, 3360-3368 (2004).
• Ronson, T.K, Nelson, J., Jameson, G.B., Jeffery J.C., and Brooker, S., Controlled access to mixed-metal pyridazine-linked cryptates, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2570-2584 (2004).
• Motson, G.R. Fleming, J.S. and Brooker, S., Potential applications for the use of lanthanide complexes as luminescent biolabels, Advances in Inorganic Chemistry, 55, 361-432 (2004).
• Klingele, M.H. and Brooker, S., Synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of a polymeric copper(II) complex containing the novel ligand 4,4'-(1,4-phenylene)bis[3-phenyl-5-(2-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole], Inorganica Chimica Acta, 357, 1598-1602 (2004).

2003

• Hausmann, J., Jameson, G.B. and Brooker, S., Control of molecular architecture by the degree of deprotonation: self-assembled di- and tetranuclear copper(II) complexes of N,N'-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxamide, Chem. Commun., 2992-2993 (2003).
• Li, R., Larsen, D.S. and Brooker, S., Syntheses, structures and tautomers of 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles, New J. Chem., 27, 1353-1359 (2003).
• Lan, Y., Kennepohl, D.K., Moubaraki, B., Murray, K.S., Cashion, J.D., Jameson, G.B. and Brooker, S., Coordination algorithms control molecular architecture: [CuI4(L2)4]4+ grid complex versus [MII2(L2)2X4]y+ side-by-side complexes (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Zn; X = solvent or anion) and [FeII(L2)3][Cl3FeIIIOFeIIICl3], Chem. Eur. J., 9, 3772-3784, and front cover feature (2003).
• Beckmann, U. and Brooker, S. Dicobalt(II) Complexes of Schiff-base Macrocycles Containing Pyridazine or Triazolate “Head Units”: Spin-state Control, Coord. Chem. Rev. (invited contribution, refereed as usual), 245, 17-29 (2003).
• Depree, C.V., Beckmann, U., Heslop, K. and Brooker, S., Monomeric, trimeric and polymeric assemblies of dicopper(II) complexes of a triazolate-containing Schiff-base macrocycle, Dalton Transactions, 3071-3081 (2003).
• Beckmann, U., Ewing, J.D. and Brooker, S., A dicobalt(II) complex of a triazolate-containing macrocycle reacts with nitromethane to yield an organometallic dicobalt(III) complex, Chemical Communications, 1690-1691 (2003).
• Klingele, M.H. and Brooker, S., The coordination chemistry of 4-substituted 3,5-di(2-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazoles and related ligands, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 241, 119-132 (2003). Identified in July 2006 as one of the “Top-50 most cited articles” published in Coordination Chemistry Reviews 2003-2006.
• Brooker, S., Ewing, J.D., Ronson, T.K., Harding, C.J., Nelson, J. and Speed, D.J., Redox-adaptable copper hosts; pyridazine-linked cryptands accommodate copper in a range of redox states, Inorganic Chemistry, 2764-2773 (2003).
• Beckmann, U., Brooker, S., Depree, C.V., Ewing, J.D., Moubaraki, B. and Murray, K.S., Dicobalt(II) complexes of a triazolate-containing Schiff-base macrocycle: synthesis, structure and magnetism, Dalton Transactions, 1308-1313 (2003).
• Brooker, S., Iremonger, S.S. and Plieger, P.G. A new bis(phenol-armed) pyridazine-containing Schiff base ligand: synthesis, complexation and reduction to the amine ligand analogue, Polyhedron (invited contribution to a special Supramolecular edition, refereed as usual), 22, 665-671 (2003).

Get more publications (1996-present)