Dr Ben Ward
Senior Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry
- wardbd@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 0302
- Fax:
- +44 (0)29 2087 4030
- 3.39, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
I am an inorganic chemisty with an interest in organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis, especially when applied to polymer formation and degradation. I have particular expertise in the development and understanding of catalysts using Earth-abundant metals, using a combination of experimental and computational methods.
Biography
DPhil University of Oxford (2002, P. Mountford, synthesis and reactivity of Groups 3 and 6 complexes supported by polydentate N-donor ligands). Post-doctoral Research Fellow, University of Oxford (2002, P. Mountford, synthesis and polymerisation catalysis with Group 3 complexes supported by macrocyclic ligands). Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Università Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France (2003-4, L. H. Gade, asymmetric catalysis using C3-symmetry). Marie Curie Intra-European Research Fellow, Universitat Heidelberg, Germany (2005-7, L. H. Gade, stereoselective Fe- and Co-catalysed oxidation and peroxidation of hydrocarbons; isotactic olefin polymerisation with Group 3 catalysts). Research Fellow, CaRLa - Catalysis Research Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany (2007, L. H. Gade, stereospecific olefin polymerisation). Appointed lecturer, Cardiff, in 2007 (promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2014).
Publications
2022
- Fitzgerald, S. A. et al. 2022. Organometallic platinum(ii) photosensitisers that demonstrate ligand‐modulated triplet‐triplet annihilation energy upconversion efficiencies. Chemistry - A European Journal, article number: e202203241. (10.1002/chem.202203241)
- Ward, B. D., Guppy, O. G. and Shaw, M. S. 2022. Alkyl, carbonyl and cyanide complexes of the group 4 metals. In: Parkin, G., Meyer, K. and O'hare, D. eds. Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry IV (Fourth Edition). Elsevier, pp. 85-162., (10.1016/B978-0-12-820206-7.00011-1)
- Shaw, M. S., Bates, M. R., Jones, M. D. and Ward, B. D. 2022. Metallocene catalysts for the ring-opening co-polymerisation of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides. Polymer Chemistry 13(22), pp. 3315-3324. (10.1039/D2PY00335J)
- Stewart, J. et al. 2022. Simple Zn(ii) complexes for the production and degradation of polyesters. RSC Advances 12(3), pp. 1416-1424. (10.1039/D1RA09087A)
2021
- Kaler, S., McKeown, P., Ward, B. D. and Jones, M. D. 2021. Aluminium(iii) and zinc(ii) complexes of azobenzene-containing ligands for ring-opening polymerisation of ε-caprolactone and rac-lactide. Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers 8(3), pp. 711-719. (10.1039/D0QI01303J)
2020
- Dosso, J. et al. 2020. Boron-nitrogen-doped nanographenes: a synthetic tale from borazine precursors. Chemistry - A European Journal 26(29), pp. 6608-6621. (10.1002/chem.201905794)
2019
- Stewart, J. A., McKeown, P., Driscoll, O. J., Mahon, M. F., Ward, B. D. and Jones, M. D. 2019. Tuning the thiolen: Al(III) and Fe(III) thiolen complexes for the isoselective ROP of rac-Lactide. Macromolecules 52(15), pp. 5977-5984. (10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01205)
- Bahili, M. A. et al. 2019. Aluminium-catalysed isocyanate trimerization, enhanced by exploiting a dynamic coordination sphere. Chemical Communications 55(53), pp. 7679-7682. (10.1039/C9CC03339D)
- Groves, L. M. et al. 2019. Fluorescent functionalised naphthalimides and their Au(i)–NHC complexes for potential use in cellular bioimaging. Dalton Transactions 48(5), pp. 1599-1612. (10.1039/C8DT04069A)
2018
- Groves, L. M., Ward, B. D., Newman, P. D., Horton, P. N., Coles, S. J. and Pope, S. J. A. 2018. Synthesis and characterisation of fluorescent aminophosphines and their coordination to gold(i). Dalton Transactions 47(28), pp. 9324-9333. (10.1039/C8DT02256A)
- Langdon-Jones, E. E., Ward, B. and Pope, S. 2018. Synthesis and luminescence properties of cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes incorporating conjugated benzotriazole units. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 861, pp. 234-243. (10.1016/j.jorganchem.2018.02.019)
2017
- Gaur, R., Choubey, D. K., Usman, M., Ward, B., Roy, J. K. and Mishra, L. 2017. Synthesis, structures, nuclease activity, cytotoxicity, DFT and molecular docking studies of two nitrato bridged homodinuclear (Cu-Cu, Zn-Zn) complexes containing 2,2?-bipyridine and a chalcone derivative. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology 173, pp. 650-660. (10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2017.07.005)
2016
- Amoroso, A. J., Knight, J. C., Edwards, P. G., Singh, N. and Ward, B. D. 2016. Shaping and enforcing coordination spheres: probing the ability of tripodal ligands to favour trigonal prismatic geometry. Dalton Transactions 45(26), pp. 10630-10642. (10.1039/C6DT01165A)
- Stacey, O. J., Ward, B. D., Coles, S. J., Horton, P. N. and Pope, S. J. A. 2016. Chromophore-labelled, luminescent platinum complexes: syntheses, structures, and spectroscopic properties. Dalton Transactions 45, pp. 10297-10307. (10.1039/C6DT01335J)
- Bennett, S. D., Pope, S. J. A., Jenkins, R. L. and Ward, B. D. 2016. Scandium complexes bearing bis(oxazolinylphenyl)amide ligands: an analysis of their reactivity, solution-state structures and photophysical properties. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2016(18), pp. 2932-2941. (10.1002/ejic.201600223)
- Stacey, O. J., Ward, B. D., Amoroso, A. J. and Pope, S. J. A. 2016. Near-IR luminescent lanthanide complexes with 1,8-diaminoanthraquinone-based chromophoric ligands. Dalton Transactions 45(15), pp. 6674-6681. (10.1039/C5DT04351D)
- Hallett, A. J., O'Brien, T., Carter, E., Kariuki, B., Murphy, D. M. and Ward, B. D. 2016. Copper(II) complexes of pyridine-oxazoline (Pyox) ligands: coordination chemistry, ligand stability, and catalysis. Inorganica Chimica Acta 441, pp. 86-94. (10.1016/j.ica.2015.10.032)
2014
- Bennett, S. D., Core, B. A., Blake, M. P., Pope, S. J. A., Mountford, P. and Ward, B. D. 2014. Chiral lanthanide complexes: coordination chemistry, spectroscopy, and catalysis. Dalton Transactions 43(15), pp. 5871-5885. (10.1039/c4dt00114a)
2013
- Kumari, N., Hasan, M. A., Ward, B. D. and Mishra, L. 2013. Reactivity of tetrabutylammonium iodide with a heteronuclear 6Copper(II)-4Na(I) complex: selective recognition of iodide ion. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 52(43), pp. 15007-15014. (10.1021/ie401373m)
- Bennett, S. D., Pope, S. J. A. and Ward, B. D. 2013. Near-IR luminescent neodymium complexes: spectroscopic probes for hydroamination catalysis. Chemical Communications 49(54), pp. 6072-6074. (10.1039/c3cc42923g)
- Langdon-Jones, E. E., Hallett, A. J., Routledge, J. D., Crole, D. A., Ward, B. D., Platts, J. A. and Pope, S. J. A. 2013. Using substituted cyclometalated quinoxaline ligands to finely tune the luminescence properties of iridium(III) complexes. Inorganic Chemistr 52(1), pp. 448-456. (10.1021/ic301853t)
- Almalioti, F. et al. 2013. Convenient syntheses of cyanuric chloride-derived NHC ligands, their Ag(i) and Au(i) complexes and antimicrobial activity. Dalton Transactions 42(34), pp. 12370-12380. (10.1039/c3dt51400e)
- Carter, E., Hazeland, E. L., Murphy, D. M. and Ward, B. D. 2013. Structure, EPR/ENDOR and DFT characterisation of a [CuII(en)2](OTf)2 complex. Dalton Transactions 42(42), pp. 15088-15096. (10.1039/c3dt51694f)
2012
- Nixon, T. D. and Ward, B. D. 2012. Calcium amido-bisoxazoline complexes in asymmetric hydroamination/cyclisation catalysis. Chemical Communications 48(96), pp. 11790-11792. (10.1039/c2cc37021b)
- Ward, B. D. and Gade, L. H. 2012. Rare earth metal oxazoline complexes in asymmetric catalysis. Chemical Communications 48(86), pp. 10587-10599. (10.1039/c2cc34997c)
- Owen, M. E., Carter, E., Hutchings, G. J., Ward, B. D. and Murphy, D. M. 2012. Influence of counterions on the structure of bis(oxazoline) copper(II) complexes; an EPR and ENDOR investigation. Dalton Transactions 41(36), pp. 11085-11092. (10.1039/C2DT31273E)
- Kumari, N., Ward, B. D., Kar, S. and Mishra, L. 2012. Reactivity of nitrilotriacetic acid with polypyridyl protected as well as naked copper(II) nitrate. Polyhedron 33(1), pp. 425-434. (10.1016/j.poly.2011.12.009)
2011
- Wixey, J. S. and Ward, B. D. 2011. Modular ligand variation in calcium bisimidazoline complexes: effects on ligand redistribution and hydroamination catalysis. Dalton Transactions 40(30), pp. 7693-7696. (10.1039/C1DT10732A)
- Yasar, S., Cavell, K. J., Ward, B. D. and Kariuki, B. 2011. Novel quasi-scorpionate ligand structures based on a bis-N-heterocyclic carbene chelate core: synthesis, complexation and catalysis. Applied Organometallic Chemistry 25(5), pp. 374-382. (10.1002/aoc.1773)
- McDyre, L. et al. 2011. Intramolecular formation of a CrI(bis-arene) species via TEA activation of [Cr(CO)4(Ph2P(C3H6)PPh2)]+: sn EPR and DFT investigation. Organometallics 30(17), pp. 4505-4508. (10.1021/om2006062)
- Hallett, A. J., Baber, R. A., Orpen, A. G. and Ward, B. D. 2011. The co-ordination chemistry of tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl) methane manganese carbonyl complexes: Synthetic, electrochemical and DFT studies. Dalton Transactions 40(36), pp. 9276-9283. (10.1039/C1DT10828J)
- Jones, J. E., Kariuki, B., Ward, B. D. and Pope, S. J. A. 2011. Amino-anthraquinone chromophores functionalised with 3-picolyl units: structures, luminescence, DFT and their coordination chemistry with cationic Re(I) di-imine complexes. Dalton Transactions 40(14), pp. 3498-3509. (10.1039/C0DT01383H)
- Wixey, J. S. and Ward, B. D. 2011. Chiral calcium catalysts for asymmetric hydroamination/cyclisation. Chemical Communications 47(19), pp. 5449-5451. (10.1039/C1CC11229E)
- Jones, J. E., Amoroso, A. J., Dorin, I. M., Parigi, G., Ward, B. D., Buurma, N. J. and Pope, S. J. A. 2011. Bimodal, dimetallic lanthanide complexes that bind to DNA: the nature of binding and its influence on water relaxivity. Chemical Communications 47(12), pp. 3374-3376. (10.1039/C1CC00111F)
2010
- Hallett, A. J., Ward, B. D., Kariuki, B. and Pope, S. J. A. 2010. Neutral and cationic cyclometallated Ir(III) complexes of anthra[1,2-d]-imidazole-6,11-dione-derived ligands: Syntheses, structures and spectroscopic characterisation. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 695(22), pp. 2401-2409. (10.1016/j.jorganchem.2010.07.017)
- Knight, J. C., Prabaharan, R., Ward, B. D., Amoroso, A. J., Edwards, P. G. and Kariuki, B. 2010. A facile one-pot synthesis of a new cryptand via a Pd(II)-catalysed carbonylation reaction. Dalton Transactions 39(42), pp. 10031-10033. (10.1039/C0DT01205J)
2009
- Ward, B. D., Lukešová, L., Wadepohl, H., Bellemin-Laponnaz, S. and Gade, L. H. 2009. Scandium-catalyzed polymerization of CH3(CH2)nCH=CH2 (n = 0–4): remarkable activity and tacticity control. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2009(7), pp. 866-871. (10.1002/ejic.200801106)
- Weitershaus, K., Ward, B. D., Kubiak, R., Müller, C., Wadepohl, H., Doye, S. and Gade, L. H. 2009. Titanium hydroamination catalysts bearing a 2-aminopyrrolinato spectator ligand: monitoring the individual reaction steps. Dalton Transactions 38(23), pp. 4586-4602. (10.1039/B902038A)
- Andrews, M. B., Ward, B. D., Laye, R. A., Kariuki, B. and Pope, S. J. A. 2009. Sensitized Lanthanide-Ion Luminescence with Aryl-Substituted N-(2-Nitrophenyl)acetamide-Derived Chromophores. Helvetica Chimica Acta 92(11), pp. 2159-2172. (10.1002/hlca.200900108)
2008
- Scheuermann, C. J. and Ward, B. D. 2008. Selected recent developments in organo-cobalt chemistry. New Journal of Chemistry 32(11), pp. 1850-1880. (10.1039/b802689k)
- Vujkovic, N., Fillol, J. L., Ward, B. D., Wadepohl, H., Mountford, P. and Gade, L. H. 2008. Insertions into azatitanacyclobutenes: new insights into three-component coupling reactions involving imidotitanium intermediates. Organometallics 27(11), pp. 2518-2528. (10.1021/om8001203)
2007
- Vujkovic, N., Ward, B. D., Maisse-Francois, A., Wadepohl, H., Mountford, P. and Gade, L. H. 2007. Imido-alkyne coupling in titanium complexes: New insights into the alkyne hydroamination reaction. Organometallics 26(23), pp. 5522-5534. (10.1021/om700758v)
- Lukešová, L., Ward, B. D., Bellemin-Laponnaz, S., Wadepohl, H. and Gade, L. H. 2007. C-3-Symmetric chiral organolanthanide complexes: Synthesis, characterization, and stereospecific polymerization of alpha-olefins. Organometallics 26(18), pp. 4652-4657. (10.1021/om700504f)
- Gade, L. H. et al. 2007. Shaping and Enforcing Coordination Spheres: The Implications of C3 and C1 Chirality in the Coordination Chemistry of 1,1,1-Tris(oxazolinyl)ethane (Trisox). Chemistry - A European Journal 13(11), pp. 3058-3075. (10.1002/chem.200601651)
- Lukešová, L., Ward, B. D., Bellemin-Laponnaz, S., Wadepohl, H. and Gade, L. H. 2007. High tacticity control in organolanthanide polymerization catalysis: formation of isotactic poly(alpha-alkenes) with a chiral C-3-symmetric thulium complex. Dalton Transactions(9), pp. 920-922. (10.1039/B700269F)
2006
- Ward, B. D., Risler, H., Weitershaus, K., Bellemin-Laponnaz, S., Wadepohl, H. and Gade, L. H. 2006. 2-Aminopyrrolines: New chiral amidinate ligands with a rigid well-defined molecular structure and their coordination to Ti-IV. Inorganic Chemistry -American Chemical Society- 45(19), pp. 7777-7787. (10.1021/ic060809y)
- Ward, B. D., Gade, L. H. and Mountford, P. 2006. Lithiation of the diaminopyridine protio-ligand MeC(2-C5H4N){CH2N(H) Mes}(2) (Mes=2,4,6-C6H2Me3). Acta Crystallographica Section E 62(3), pp. M472-M474. (10.1107/S1600536806004041)
- Seitz, M., Capacchione, C., Bellemin-Laponnaz, S., Wadepohl, H., Ward, B. D. and Gade, L. H. 2006. Bisoxazolines with one and two sidearms: stereodirecting ligands for copper-catalysed asymmetric allylic oxidations of alkenes. Dalton Transactions(1), pp. 193-202. (10.1039/B512570G)
2005
- Tredget, C. S., Lawrence, S. C., Ward, B. D., Howe, R. G., Cowley, A. R. and Mountford, P. 2005. A family of scandium and yttrium tris((trimethylsilyl)methyl) complexes with neutral N-3 donor ligands. Organometallics 24(13), pp. 3136-3148. (10.1021/om050209r)
- Ward, B. D., Orde, G., Clot, E., Cowley, A. R., Gade, L. H. and Mountford, P. 2005. Reactions of Neutral and Cationic Diamide-Supported Imido Complexes with CO2 and Other Heterocumulenes: Issues of Site Selectivity. Organometallics 24(10), pp. 2368-2385. (10.1021/om0500265)
- Ward, B. D., Bellemin-Laponnaz, S. and Gade, L. H. 2005. C3 Chirality in Polymerization Catalysis: A Highly Active Dicationic Scandium(III) Catalyst for the Isoselective Polymerization of 1-Hexene. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 44(11), pp. 1668-1671. (10.1002/anie.200462804)
- Boyd, C. L., Toupance, T., Tyrrell, B. R., Ward, B. D., Wilson, C. R., Cowley, A. R. and Mountford, P. 2005. Synthesis, structures, and reactions of titanium, scandium, and yttrium complexes of diamino-bis(phenolate) ligands: Monomeric, dimeric, neutral, cationic, and multiply bonded derivatives. Organometallics 24(2), pp. 309-330. (10.1021/om0493661)
- Lowes, T. A., Ward, B. D., Whannel, R. A., Dubberley, S. R. and Mountford, P. 2005. A new diamido-amine ligand based on three-carbon atom "arms": synthesis, structures and polymerisation capability of zirconium derivatives of MeN(CH2CH2CH2NSiMe3)(2). Chemical Communications- Royal Society of Chemistry(1), pp. 113-115. (10.1039/B412381F)
2004
- Ward, B. D., Orde, G., Clot, E., Cowley, A. R., Gade, L. H. and Mountford, P. 2004. Synthesis, reactivity, and computational studies of the cationic tungsten methyl complex [W(NPh)(N2Npy)Me](+) and related compounds (N2Npy = MeC(2-C5H4N)(CH2NSiMe3)(2)). Organometallics 23(19), pp. 4444-4461. (10.1021/om049701l)
- Ward, B. D., Maisse-Francois, A., Mountford, P. and Gade, L. H. 2004. Synthesis and structural characterization of an azatitanacyclobutene: the key intermediate in the catalytic anti-Markovnikov addition of primary amines to α-alkynes. Chemical Communications- Royal Society of Chemistry(6), pp. 704-705. (10.1039/b316383k)
2003
- Ward, B. D., Dubberley, S. R., Gade, L. H. and Mountford, P. 2003. Group 6 imido complexes supported by diamido-donor ligands. Inorganic Chemistry -American Chemical Society- 42(16), pp. 4961-4969. (10.1021/ic034377s)
- Mountford, P. and Ward, B. D. 2003. Recent developments in the non-cyclopentadienyl organometallic and related chemistry of scandium. Chemical Communications(15), pp. 1797-1803. (10.1039/B212813F)
- Lawrence, S. C., Ward, B. D., Dubberley, S. R., Kozak, C. M. and Mountford, P. 2003. Highly efficient ethylene polymerisation by scandium alkyls supported by neutral fac-kappa(3) coordinated N-3 donor ligands. Chemical Communications(23), pp. 2880-2881. (10.1039/B310867H)
2002
- Ward, B. D., Clot, E., Dubberley, S. R., Gade, L. H. and Mountford, P. 2002. Synthesis and reactivity of the imidotungsten methyl cation [W(N(2)Npy)(NPh)Me](+): CO2 adds to the W=NPh bond and does not insert into the W-Me bond. Chemical Communications(22), pp. 2618-2619. (10.1039/B208327B)
- Skinner, M. E. G., Tyrrell, B. R., Ward, B. D. and Mountford, P. 2002. New N- and O-donor ligand environments in organoscandium chemistry. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 647(1-2), pp. 145-150. (10.1016/S0022-328X(01)01359-6)
- Ward, B. D., Dubberley, S. R., Maisse-Francois, A., Gade, L. H. and Mountford, P. 2002. Scandium chloride, alkyl and phenyl complexes of diamido-donor ligands. Journal of the Chemical Society, Dalton Transactions(24), pp. 4649-4657. (10.1039/B209382K)
2001
- Arnold, P. L., Blake, A. J., Hall, S. N., Ward, B. D. and Wilson, C. 2001. A functional model for lanthanide doped silicate materials: synthesis of an apically substituted samarium silsesquioxane complex. Dalton Transactions(4), pp. 488-491. (10.1039/B009123P)
Teaching
CH3102 Foundations of Inorganic Chemistry
CH3202 Applications of Molecular Spectroscopy
CH3402 Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry
CHT221 Mechanism and Ligand Design in Homogeneous Catalysis
In my research group we develop catalysts for the preparation of novel polymers, along with the technology to recycle them effectively by de-polymerisation. Our goal is to prepare materials that have superior properties to traditional polymers such that they can be used in real-world applications whilst improving the environmental footprint of the polymer sector. Specific projects involve some or all of:
- Preparation of new ligand environments for effective catalysis
- Development of catalytically active complexes for polymerisation
- Reaction mechanism determination using spectroscopic analyses and computational studies
- Analysing the materials properties of novel polymers made in our laboratory
As part of our research efforts, we collaborate with scientists and engineers from across the catalysis and materials research areas.
