David Bradford

• BSc (Hons) Chemistry
• Synthesis and Characterisation of DNA Component Nanomaterials from Silver/Gold/Copper nanoparticles.

The aim of this project was to investigate methods to synthesise and characterise nanomaterials using Ag(I)/Au(I)/Cu(I) salts with Thio-Nucleobases, Thio-Nucleosides, Nucleobase, Nucleosides and Nucleotides. The most affective method of characterisation for coordinated Metallo complexes is X-ray crystallography, providing detailed information on the interactions involved in the bonding of the complex. Hydrothermal and Solvothermal reactions were investigated to attempt to crystallise insoluble complexes such as 6-thioguanine coordination compounds, under extreme pressure caused by the expanding solvent above its boiling temperature in a confined Teflon container by the autoclave. Many attempts resulted in failure to obtained crystalline material, a reaction of Tetrakis(acetonitrile)copper(I) tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile at solvothermal conditions resulted in red and yellow diamonds (small crystalline material). The use of Atomic Force Miscopy showed usual 2D plates.

Analogies of the Silver (I) Metallo complexes discover by the Houlton research group were also investigated using gold (I) and copper (I) salts reactions.

Funded source: Royal Society of Chemistry

Project supervisor: Professor Andrew Houlton