Ian Riddlestone

Biography

Ian is a graduate of the University of Newcastle. Keith Izod investigating the light-induced rearrangement of thioether-substituted phosphanide ligands. Ian then moved to the University of Oxford where he was a BP CASE Award. As a DPhil student Ian worked on the formation of mixed transition metal-aluminum complexes. This work includes the isolation and full characterization of sigma-alane complexes, with similarity with archetypal dihydrogen, borane and silane complexes. After obtaining a DPhil in Inorganic Chemistry in 2013 Ian moved to the University of Bath to take up an EPSRC funded postdoctoral position in the group of Prof. Michael Whittlesey. During this time Ian worked on the synthesis and reactivity of ruthenium carbene complexes, with particular emphasis on the activation of CF bonds. In collaboration with the group of Prof. Stuart Macgregor (Heriot Watt University), this work highlighted the subtleties of supporting N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in ruthenium hydride chemistry. These differences influence on product distribution in catalytic hydrodefluorination reactions of perfluorinated substrates, as well as the competition between CF and CH bond activation processes.

Research Interest

His current research focuses on Preparation of Stabilized and Free Silylium and Silicocenium Ions Featuring Known and Novel Weakly Coordinating Anions; Reagents for the Coordination and Activation of Small Molecules