PHD Studentship: Development of small organic Near-Infrared Fluorescent molecules which emit long wavelength with lower energy

Suitably qualified and highly motivated candidates are invited to apply for a fully-funded PhD studentship in the group of Dr. Anna Wu (co-supervised by Dr. Tom Swift and Dr. Sanjit Nayak) at University of Bradford in the area of organic synthesis and catalysis.

Small organic near-infrared (NIR)-fluorophores are highly promising as non-invasive bioimaging probes to undergo deep penetration to tissues with minimal phototoxicity to detect hidden malignancies. The aim of this PhD project is to develop small organic NIR fluorescent molecules which emit long wavelength with lower energy. The project will focus on discovery of new strategies and synthetic reactions of a novel class of activated electron-rich alkynes with Michael acceptors. This will enable the construction of fluorescent molecules in a cascade sequence by forming multiple bonds in a single operation, thereby enabling rapid increases in structural complexity in single step.

These molecules will be applied to fluorescent bio-imaging by collaboration with Dr. Tom Swift, as well as to metal-organic frameworks-based materials by collaborating with Dr. Sanjit Nayak. Training: The student will receive in-depth training in a wide range of synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry, and a diverse array of analytical techniques including NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, IR spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, thermal analyses, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction.