Dr. Michael J. Morris

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Morris obtained a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Bristol in 1981. After his PhD, obtained from the same institution in 1984, he became a Royal Society European Programme Fellow at the Université Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg. In 1986 he became a postdoctoral research assistant at the University of Cambridge, which was followed by an appointment as temporary lecturer at the University of Manchester in 1987. In 1988, he became a lecturer at the University of Sheffield, where he was promoted to senior lecturer in 2005.

Research Keywords

Organometallic chemistry, dinuclear complexes, cluster chemistry, organosulfur chemistry, main group chemistry.

Teaching Keywords

Transition Metal Chemistry

Selected Publications:

Aromaticity and ring currents in ferrocene and two isomeric sandwich complexes, David E. Bean, Patrick W. Fowler and Michael J. Morris, J. Organomet. Chem. 2011, 696, 2093-2100.
Coordination of 4-mercapto-1,2-dithiole-3-thione heterocycles to ruthenium(II) and molybdenum(VI) centres, H. Adams, A. M. Coffey and M. J. Morris, Inorg. Chem. Acta 2010, 363, 173-178.
Efficient Transfer of Either One or Two Dithiolene Ligands from Nickel to Ruthenium: Synthesis and Crystal Structures of [Ru(SCR=CPhS)(2)(PPh3)] and [RuCl2(SCR=CPhS)(PPh3)(2)] (R = Ph, H), H. Adams, A. M. Coffey, M. J. Morris and S. A. Morris, Inorg. Chem. 2009, 48, 11945-11953.
Sequential Construction of One, Two, or Three Dithiolene Ligands from Alkynes and Sulfur in Dinuclear Cyclopentadienyl Molybdenum Complexes, H. Adams, M. N. Bancroft, M. J. Morris and A. E. Riddiough, Inorg. Chem. 2009, 48, 9557-9566.
Reaction of metal carbonyl anions with electrophilic alkynes: Synthesis of isomeric eta(3)-acryloyl and sigma-vinyl complexes, H. Adams, P. Blenkiron, L. J. Gill, R. Herve, A. G. Huesmann and M. J. Morris, J. Organomet. Chem. 2008, 693, 709-716.
Phosphine-substituted dithiolene complexes as ligands: Communication between ruthenium(II) Centers through a dimolybdenum bis(dithiolene) core, H. Adams, M. J. Morris, A. E. Riddiough, L. J. Yellowlees and A. B. P. Lever, Inorg. Chem. 2007, 46, 9790-9807.
Thermally induced two-step, two-site incomplete (6)A(1)<-> T-2(2) crossover in a mononuclear Iron(III) phenolate-pyridyl Schiff-base complex: A rare crystallographic observation of the coexistence of pure S = 5/2 and 1/2 metal centers in the asymmetric unit, M. S. Shongwe, B. A. Al-Rashdi, H. Adams, M. J. Morris, M. Mikuriya and G. R. Hearne, Inorg. Chem. 2007, 46, 9558-9568.

Research Interests

My group is presently conducting research in several areas of synthetic organometallic and inorganic chemistry. Our main interest at present lies in the chemistry of complexes containing dithiolene (1,2-enedithiolate) ligands. These are important in biological inorganic chemistry where they are involved in the active sites of molybdenum and tungsten enzymes, and are also of interest because of the redox activity of the ligand. We have recently started a research program aimed at introducing additional redox-active substituents into dithiolene ligands in order to establish whether communication between them is possible in complexes containing two or more such ligands. We have already shown that this is the case in dinuclear bis(dithiolene) complexes and we are now expanding our research into mononuclear complexes. We are also interested in reactions involving the transfer of dithiolene ligands from one complex to another as a route to new and otherwise inaccessible dithiolene complexes.

In addition to this work, we are also interested in new routes to organosulfur heterocycles and their incorporation into metal complexes, as well as the more traditional areas associated with my group, namely the behaviour of organic ligands (alkynes, vinylidenes, carbenes, carbynes) coordinated to dinuclear compounds and larger clusters; the chemistry of dinuclear complexes and mixed-metal clusters with thiolate and other sulfur-based ligands and their relevance to the industrial hydrodesulfurisation reaction; and alkyne scission and alkyne metathesis induced by metal complexes.

Teaching Section

Inorganic Chemistry

Undergraduate Courses Taught

Introduction to d- and f-Block elements 2 (Year 1) This segment further explores the relationship between electronic configuration and structure of metal complexes, introduces the concepts of kinetic and thermodynamic stability of complexes and their effect on reactivity, and presents a brief survey of the applications of metal complexes.
Metals in the service of man (Year 1)
This segment discusses the importance of metals in the everyday world.
Organometallic Chemistry 2: transverse ligands (Year 3)
This segment rationalises some aspects of π-bound ligands to impart an understanding of their bonding and chemistry.
Heterogeneous Catalysis (Year 4)
This course describes the chemical basis behind some economically important industrial processes which use heterogeneous catalysts to manufacture a range of bulk chemical products.

Tutorial & Workshop Support

First Year General Tutorials.
First Year Workshops.
Second Year Inorganic Chemistry Tutorials.
Second Year Workshops.
Third Year Workshops.
Third Year Literature Review.
Fourth Year Workshops.

Laboratory Teaching

First Year Laboratory Demonstrating
Third Year Advanced Practical Chemistry Techniques
Fourth Year Research Project.