My PhD research involved investigation of charge transfer states in transition metal polypyridyl complexes. Typical photophysical properties of these types of compounds, such as long excited state lifetimes, absorption and emission in the visible region, combined with their photostability make them potential candidates for a range of applications, such as solar energy harvesters or molecular sensors. Therefore, understanding how key structural changes influence their properties and the electron transfer processes in these systems is of interest to the design of future materials.
My thesis involved the study of multi-chromophoric complexes, which possessed both metal and organic donor groups, facilitating population of both metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and intra-ligand charge transfer (ILCT) states. Through a series of systematic variations to the structure and environment of these compounds, the nature, energetics and photophysical properties of the charge transfer states were successfully tuned, characterised and their interaction with one-another examined. These compounds were studied using a suite of electronic and vibrational spectroscopic techniques in conjunction with computational chemistry methods.
As a Research Fellow at the University of St Andrews, I am expanding my research area towards analytical chemistry. I am using Raman spectroscopy to study a range of compounds in complex media and have been exploring different ways to obtain Raman spectra at depth, through the utilisation of Bessel beams.
Education:
2019: PhD, Chemistry, University of Otago
2015: BSc(Hons), Chemistry, University of Otago
2014: BSc Chemistry, University of Otago
Employment:
2020 – Present: Research Fellow, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
2019: Science Policy Intern, Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor
Selected Publications:
Shillito, G. E.; Hall, T. B. J.; Preston, D.; Traber, P.; Wu, L.; Reynolds, K. E. A.; Horvath, R.; Sun, X. Z.; Lucas, N. T.; Crowley, J. D.; George, M. W.; Kupfer, S.; Gordon, K. C., Dramatic Alteration of 3ILCT Lifetimes Using Ancillary Ligands in [Re(L)(CO)3(phen-TPA)]n+ Complexes: An Integrated Spectroscopic and Theoretical Study. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 4534-4542.
Shillito, G. E.; Preston, D.; Traber, P.; Steinmetzer, J.; McAdam, J.; Crowley, J.; Wagner, P.; Kupfer, S.; Gordon, K. C.; Excited state switches frustrates the tuning of properties in TPA donor ligand Re(I) and Pt(II) complexes. Inorg. Chem. 2020, 59, 6736-6746.
Shillito, G. E.; Larsen, C. B.; McLay, J. R. W.; Lucas, N. T.; Gordon, K. C. Effect of Bridge Alteration on Ground- and Excited-State Properties of Ruthenium(II) Complexes with Electron-Donor-Substituted Dipyrido[3,2-a:20,30-c]phenazine Ligands. Inorg. Chem. 2016, 55, 11170-11184
