Dr Rowan Young
Dr

Rowan Young

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Phone: 
+61 7 334 69901

Background

I obtained my BSc.(Hons) from the University of New South Wales in Australia, then went on to pursue a PhD at the Australian National University’s Research School of Chemistry under the supervision of Professor Anthony Hill. After stints at the University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh as a research fellow in groups of Andrew Weller and Polly Arnold respectively, I began my independent career at the National University of Singapore in 2014. Since then I have focused on methodology development using pincer complexes and frustrated Lewis pairs to address challenges in small molecule activation, in particular the selective activation of carbon-halide and carbon-chalcogen bonds. My achievements have been recognized with research awards including Asian Chemistry Prizes from Japan and China (2018) and the Thieme Chemistry Journal Award in 2019. In 2022 I was awarded an ARC Future Fellowship, which I assumed at the University of Queensland in mid-2023. The theme of the research for this fellowship is the recycling and repurposing of fluorocarbons through selective activation using organometallic techniques.

Availability

Dr Rowan Young is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Chemical Sciences Inorganic chemistry Inorganic green chemistry Main group metal chemistry

Research interests

  • Frustrated Lewis Pairs

    Activation chemistry based on the interaction of bulky Lewis acid and bases

  • Transition Metal Pincer Chemistry

    Chemistry concerning synthesis, reactivity and catalysis of PC(carbene)P pincer complexes that feature central alkylidene donors.

  • Carbon-Fluorine Bond Activation and Functionalisation

    The development of new methods to functionalise fluorocarbons, including the selective activation of fluorine-carbon bonds in poly fluorocarbons.

Research impacts

My research focuses on methodology development utilising base metals and frustrated Lewis pairs. I have developed unique ways to selectively activate carbon-fluorine bonds in polyfluorocarbon compounds. My group continues to explore this field allowing direct access to a wide array of second generation fluorinated molecules. We also develop new frustrated Lewis pair systems based on utilising first row transition metal that allow enhanced activation of and catalysis with otherwise inert compounds. Our last avenue of research is in the field of pincer ligand transition metals. We have developed new methods to synthesize alkylidene centred pincer ligands, and we are exploring how these can be exploited in bond activation and catalysis.

Search Professor Rowan Young’s works on UQ eSpace

49 works between 2006 and 2024
All (49) Journal Article (48) Book Chapter (1)

41 - 49 of 49 works

2013

Journal Article

Bis(phosphine)boronium salts. Synthesis, structures and coordination chemistry

Shuttleworth, Timothy A., Huertos, Miguel A., Pernik, Indrek, Young, Rowan D. and Weller, Andrew S. (2013). Bis(phosphine)boronium salts. Synthesis, structures and coordination chemistry. Dalton Transactions, 42 (36), 12917-12925. doi: 10.1039/c3dt50817j

Bis(phosphine)boronium salts. Synthesis, structures and coordination chemistry

2013

Journal Article

[(μ-C){Re(CO)2(η-C5H5)} 2]: A surprisingly simple bimetallic carbido complex

Young, Rowan D., Hill, Anthony F., Cavigliasso, Germán E. and Stranger, Robert (2013). [(μ-C){Re(CO)2(η-C5H5)} 2]: A surprisingly simple bimetallic carbido complex. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 52 (13), 3699-3702. doi: 10.1002/anie.201207731

[(μ-C){Re(CO)2(η-C5H5)} 2]: A surprisingly simple bimetallic carbido complex

2013

Journal Article

Carbon–carbon bond construction using boronic acids and aryl methyl sulfides: Orthogonal reactivity in Suzuki-type couplings

Hooper, Joel F., Young, Rowan D., Pernik, Indrek, Weller, Andrew S. and Willis, Michael C. (2013). Carbon–carbon bond construction using boronic acids and aryl methyl sulfides: Orthogonal reactivity in Suzuki-type couplings. Chemical Science, 4 (4), 1568-1572. doi: 10.1039/c3sc00052d

Carbon–carbon bond construction using boronic acids and aryl methyl sulfides: Orthogonal reactivity in Suzuki-type couplings

2013

Journal Article

Traceless chelation-controlled rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular alkene and alkyne hydroacylation

Hooper, Joel F., Young, Rowan D., Weller, Andrew S. and Willis, Michael C. (2013). Traceless chelation-controlled rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular alkene and alkyne hydroacylation. Chemistry - A European Journal, 19 (9), 3125-3130. doi: 10.1002/chem.201204056

Traceless chelation-controlled rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular alkene and alkyne hydroacylation

2012

Journal Article

Observation of a tungsten alkane σ-complex showing selective binding of methyl groups using FTIR and NMR spectroscopies

Young, Rowan D., Lawes, Douglas J., Hill, Anthony F. and Ball, Graham E. (2012). Observation of a tungsten alkane σ-complex showing selective binding of methyl groups using FTIR and NMR spectroscopies. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 134 (20), 8294-8297. doi: 10.1021/ja300281s

Observation of a tungsten alkane σ-complex showing selective binding of methyl groups using FTIR and NMR spectroscopies

2011

Journal Article

Transition metal-alkane θ-complexes with oxygen donor Co-ligands

Young, Rowan D., Hill, Anthony F., Hillier, Warwick and Ball, Graham E. (2011). Transition metal-alkane θ-complexes with oxygen donor Co-ligands. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 133 (35), 13806-13809. doi: 10.1021/ja203470y

Transition metal-alkane θ-complexes with oxygen donor Co-ligands

2009

Journal Article

On the nature of "RuCl(dmso)2{HB(mt)3}" (mt = methimazolyl)

Abernethy, Robyn J., Hill, Anthony F., Tshabang, Never, Willis, Anthony C. and Young, Rowan D. (2009). On the nature of "RuCl(dmso)2{HB(mt)3}" (mt = methimazolyl). Organometallics, 28 (2), 488-492. doi: 10.1021/om8007426

On the nature of "RuCl(dmso)2{HB(mt)3}" (mt = methimazolyl)

2008

Journal Article

Poly(methimazolyl)borato nitrosyl complexes of molybdenum and tungsten

Abernethy, Robyn J., Foreman, Mark R. St. -J., Hill, Anthony F., Tshabang, Never, Willis, Anthony C. and Young, Rowan D. (2008). Poly(methimazolyl)borato nitrosyl complexes of molybdenum and tungsten. Organometallics, 27 (17), 4455-4463. doi: 10.1021/om800416j

Poly(methimazolyl)borato nitrosyl complexes of molybdenum and tungsten

2006

Journal Article

Covalently linked ferrocenyl quinones: Proton-dependent redox behavior and charge redistribution

Colbran, Stephen B., Lee, Sang Tae, Lonnon, David G., Maharaj, Felicia J. D., McDonagh, Andrew M., Walker, Katherine A. and Young, Rowan D. (2006). Covalently linked ferrocenyl quinones: Proton-dependent redox behavior and charge redistribution. Organometallics, 25 (9), 2216-2224. doi: 10.1021/om060040x

Covalently linked ferrocenyl quinones: Proton-dependent redox behavior and charge redistribution

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2027
    A top-down approach to synthesising high-value fluorocarbons
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant

Availability

Dr Rowan Young is:
Available for supervision

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Available projects

  • Fluorocarbon activation using organometallic chemistry

    Fundamental challenges in transforming synthetic and energy-based materials are increasingly being met using inorganic chemical solutions.

    This project focuses on C-F bond activation and functionalization using main group organometallic catalysts. The project will involve advanced organometallic syntheses as well as organic synthesis to demonstrate catalyst competency.

    The successful candidate will also gain a thorough knowledge of fluorocarbon chemistry. Training will be extensive and cover inorganic, organometallic and organic synthetic techniques in synthesis and analytical characterisation.

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