Dr Adrian Chaplin

Associate Professor - Reader

Adrian Chaplin is a Reader in Chemistry at the University of Warwick. His research is based on the organometallic chemistry of the late transition metals, with a focus on mechanistic aspects of small molecule activation reactions and translation of this knowledge into catalytic applications. Current work targets the synthetic exploitation of alkanes and nitrous oxide in particular, and is distinctive for the use of bespoke pincer ligands. He is a former Royal Society University Research Fellow and for his contributions to organometallic chemistry he was awarded the Harrison-Meldola Memorial Prize from the RSC in 2015.

a dot b dot chaplin at warwick dot ac dot uk

024 761 51765

Office C501

group webpages

@chaplinlab

Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry

Recognition

2015 RSC Harrison-Meldola Memorial Prize [press release]
2014 ERC Starting Grant [press release].
2011 Royal Society University Research Fellowship.

Biography

Reader; University of Warwick, UK (2020 - present).
Royal Society University Research Fellow; University of Warwick, UK (2011 - 2019).
EPSRC funded postdoctoral research assistant; Willis and Weller research groups, University of Oxford, UK (2009 - 2011).
R. J. P. Williams Junior Research Fellow; Wadham College, Oxford, UK (2009 - 2011) .
EPSRC funded postdoctoral research assistant; Weller research group, University of Oxford, UK (2007 - 2009).
Docteur ès Sciences (PhD); Dyson research group, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland (2007).
BSc (Hons); Massey University, New Zealand (2002).

Synthetic and physical chemistry of late transition metal complexes, particularly in connection with their use in small molecule activation and catalysis. This research encompasses elucidating the fundamental structure, bonding and reactivity of transition metal complexes, mechanistic investigations and subsequent catalyst development.

Key lines of investigation:

Activation and transformation of alkanes and nitrous oxide
Supramolecular inspired encapsulating and interlocking ligand architectures
Isolation and reaction chemistry of complexes with a low coordination number
Organometallic chemistry of late transition metals in unusual oxidation states
Applications of pincer ligands in organometallic chemistry and catalysis

Adrian lectures on CH3F0 and CH403, and is a tutor for CH160 and CH267.

Past and present group members and their accomplishments are detailed on our webpages. We are always interested to hear from talented and motivated scientists. If you are interested in joining the team, please get in touch.

Selected recent publications:

A shape changing tandem Rh(CNC) catalyst: preparation of bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,5,7-trienes from terminal aryl alkynes.
C. M. Storey, A. Kalpokas, M. R. Gyton, T. Krämer* and A. B. Chaplin*. Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 2051 – 2057.
Rhodium(I) Pincer Complexes of Nitrous Oxide.
M. R. Gyton, B. Leforestier and A. B. Chaplin*. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 15295 – 15298.
Terminal Alkyne Coupling Reactions through a Ring: Mechanistic Insights and Regiochemical Switching.
C. M. Storey, M. R. Gyton, R. E. Andrew and A. B. Chaplin*. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 12003 – 12006.
Solution, Solid-State, and Computational Analysis of Agostic Interactions in a Coherent Set of Low-Coordinate Rhodium(III) and Iridium(III) Complexes.
R. C. Knighton, J. Emerson-King, J. P. Rourke, C. A. Ohlin and A. B. Chaplin*. Chem. Eur. J. 2018, 24, 4927 – 4938.
UV-light promoted C–H bond activation of benzene and fluorobenzenes by an iridium(I) pincer complex.
S. A. Hauser, J. Emerson-King, S. Habershon and A. B. Chaplin*. Chem. Commun. 2017, 53, 3634 – 3636.
One-electron Oxidation of [M(P^tBu₃)₂] (M = Pd, Pt): Isolation of Monomeric [Pd(P^tBu₃)₂]⁺ and Redox Promoted C–H Bond Cyclometalation.
T. Troadec, S.-y. Tan, C. J. Wedge, J. P. Rourke, P. R. Unwin and A. B. Chaplin*. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 3754 – 3757.

[complete pulbication list]