The George Group focuses on exploiting photochemistry and time-resolved spectroscopy to characterise intermediates and elucidate reaction mechanisms with particular emphasis on organometallic and coordination chemistry. Current research projects span both inorganic and organic photochemistry and fall into different areas including: activation of small molecules; inorganic/organic/catalytic mechanisms; excited states & electron and energy transfer. We also have projects using vibrational spectroscopy for the elucidation of electron/energy transfer in DNA and various aspects of analytical chemistry spanning areas ranging from understanding transportation of CO2 for CO2 sequestration to disease diagnosis and prognosis. The research also falls in the areas of Energy and Sustainable Chemistry.

Recent research group photograph, after a game of golf during Prof. Hiro-o Hamaguchi's visit to the lab.

More detailed descriptions of current research can be found on the tabs above.

We always welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. Please find my email address in the footer below.

Recent Selected Publications

  1. “Mechanism of the Carbon-Hydrogen Bond Activation by the Photochemically Generated Hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borato Carbonyl Rhodium: An Unexpected Route through an Unobserved, Less Stable Intermediate”, A. J. Blake, M. W. George, M. B. Hall, J. McMaster, P. Portius, X.-Z. Sun, C. E. Webster, C. Wilson and S. D. Zarić, Organometallics, 2008, 27, 189-201.
  2. “Photo-oxidation of Guanine by a Ruthenium Dipyridophenazine Complex Intercalated in a Double-Stranded Polynucleotide Monitored Directly using Picosecond Visible and Infrared Transient Absorption Spectroscopy”, B. Elias, J. M. Kelly, C. Creely, G. W. Doorley, M. M. Feeney, C. Moucheron, A. Kirsch- De Mesmaeker, J. Dyer, D. C. Grills, M. W. George, P. Matousek, A. W. Parker, M. Towrie, Chem. Eur. J., 2008, 14, 369-375.
  3.  “Detection of Low Levels of Amorphous Lactose using H/D Exchange and FT-Raman Spectroscopy”, P. T. Whiteside, S. Y. Luk, C. E. Madden-Smith, P. Turner, N. Patel and M. W. George, Pharm. Res., 2008, 25, 2650-2656.
  4. “Infrared Micro-Spectral Imaging: Automatic Distinction of Cell Types in Axillary Lymph Node Histology”, B. Bird, M. Miljkovic, M. Romeo, J. Smith, N. Stone, M. W. George and M. Diem, BMC Clinical Pathology, 2008 8:8.
  5. “Time-resolved Infrared (TRIR) Study on the Formation and Reactivity of Organometallic Methane and Ethane Complexes in Room temperature Solution”, A. J. Cowan, P. Portius, H. Kawanami, O. S. Jina, D. C. Grills, X.-Z. Sun, J. McMaster, M. W. George, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 2007, 104, 6933–6938.
  6. “A Delicate Balance of Complexation vs. Activation of Alkanes Interacting with [Re(Cp)(CO)(PF3)] Studied with NMR and Time-resolved IR Spectroscopy”, G. E. Ball, C. M. Brookes, A. J. Cowan, T. A. Darwish, M. W. George, H. Kawanami, P. Portius, and J. P. Rourke, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 2007, 104, 6927–6932
  7. “Monitoring the Direct and Indirect Damage of DNA Bases and Polynucleotides using Time-resolved Infrared Spectroscopy”, M. K. Kuimova, A. J. Cowan, P. Matousek, A. W. Parker, X Z. Sun, M. Towrie and M. W. George, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 2006, 103, 2150-2153
  8. “Characterization of an Organometallic  Xenon Complex using IR and NMR Spectroscopy”, G. E. Ball, T. Darwish, S. Geftakis, M. W. George, D. J. Lawes, P. Portius, J. P. Rourke, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 2005, 102, 1853-1858.
  9. "Measuring Binding to the Human A1-adenosine Receptor in Single Cells with Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy using a Novel Fluorescent Antagonist, XAC-BODIPY630/650", S. J. Briddon, S.J., Y. Cordeaux, R. J. Middleton, J. A  Weinstein, M. W. George, B. Kellam, S. J. Hill. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 2004, 101, 4683-4678.
  10. “Solvent Switching of 3Fe(CO)4 into 1Fe(CO)4(solvent): A Time-resolved Infrared (TRIR) of the Photochemistry  of Fe(CO)5 in Supercritical Noble Gas”, P. Portius, Y. Yang, X. Z. Sun, D. C. Grills, P. Matousek, A. W. Parker, M. Towrie, M, W. George, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2004, 126, 10713-10720.
  11. “Construction of a Femto-/Picosecond Time-resolved Resonance Raman, Fluorescence, UV/Visible and Infrared Transient Absortion Spectrometer: The Incorporation of a Broadband Infrared Spectrometer into an Existing Ultrafast Spectroscopy Apparatus” M. Towrie, D. C. Grills, J. Dyer, J. A. Weinstein, P. Matousek, R. Barton, P. D. Bailey, N. Subramanium, W. Kwok, C. Ma, D. Phillips,  A. W. Parker and M. W. George, Appl. Spectr., 2003, 57, 367-380.