Dr Jim A. Thomas

Dr Jim A. Thomas

Phone: +44 (0)114 222 9325/9393
Room Number: C77

email : James.Thomas@sheffield.ac.uk

Senior Lecturer: BSc. Reading (1982); Ph.D. Birmingham (1993); Postdoctoral: Royal Society European Exchange Fellow, Universite Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg (1993-94), University of Sheffield (1994-95). Royal Society University Research Fellow (1995 - 2004), Lecturer (2004-present).

Key Words

Synthetic chemistry, coordination chemistry, Supramolecular chemistry, novel ligand synthesis, new materials, probes for DNA.

Research Interests

As coordination chemists our group investigate the interaction of organic ligands with metal ions. We are particularly interested in photochemically and/or electrochemically active metal centres as we can then produce systems with functions. Most of our work is inspired in some way by biological systems. For example, by using a combination of hydrogen and coordination bonding we are investigating the self-assembly of hosts for simple molecular guests. We are also creating devices such as molecular wires and switches based on simple coordination complexes.

Additionally, We are looking at the way simple coordination complexes interact with DNA. Using a combinatorial approach we are trying to assess which factors are important for sequence specific binding of DNA.

Selected Publications

  • "Locking self-assembly: strategies and outcomes", Jim A. Thomas Chem. Rev. Soc., 2007, 36, 856-868.
  • "A Multifuctional "Light-Switch: DNA Binding and Cleavage Properties of a Heterobimetallic Ruthenium-Rhenium Dipyridophenazine Complex", Simon P. Foxon, Michael Towrie, Anthony W. Parker, Michelle Webb, Jim A Thomas, Angew. Chem. Intl. Ed., 2007, 46, 3686-3688.
  • "Dinuclear RuII complexes that display high affinity binding to duplex and quadruplex DNA,", Chatna Rajput, Linda Swanson, Ramune Rutkaite Ihtshamul Haq, Jim A Thomas, Chem. Eur. J., 2006, 12, 4611 - 4619.
  • "Self-assembled kinetically locked RuII-based metallomacrocyles: physical, structural, and modeling studies." Paul de Wolf, Phil Waywell, Matt Hanson, Sarah L Heath, Anthony J. H. M. Meijer, Simon J Teat, Jim A Thomas, Chem. Eur. J., 2006, 12, 2188 - 2195. (selected for cover).
  • "Tuning DNA binding affinities and photoredox properties of water-soluble organic dppz analogues", Tim Phillips, Chatna Rajput, Lance Twyman, and Ihtshamul Haq, Jim A Thomas, Chem Commun, 2005, 4327-29.

See also