Ward Group Research

1) Self-assembly and host-guest chemistry of coordination cages.

Coordination cages are hollow, pseudo-spherical metal complexes which self-assemble from metal ions and bridging ligands. They have elaborate and beautiful structures, and can bind small molecule ‘guests’ in the central cavity. This host-guest chemistry can result in useful properties and applications such as catalysed reactions of guests bound in the cavity; pH-dependent uptake and release of drug molecules; binding of gas molecules; and photoinduced electron transfer from a cage to a bound guest.

2) Photophysical properties of metal complexes and metal complex assemblies.

Luminescence from metal complexes based on transition-metal (d-block) or lanthanide (f-block) ions has applications in a wide range of areas from solar energy harvesting to analysis and bio-imaging. We are interested in the fundamental studies and applications of luminescent metal complexes with a recent focus on analysis of chemical warfare agent simulants and imaging of cells.