Darren Willcox
dr-dwillcox.bsky.social
Darren Willcox
@dr-dwillcox.bsky.social
Lecturer @University of Manchester. Interested in low-valent transition metal complexes, organoaluminium chemistry and cyclopropanes
Reposted by Darren Willcox
Funded PhD position: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
This is an interdisciplinary project where you get to do coordination chemistry with bismuth and zinc, as well as some microbiology and some computational chemistry - all in the name of combatting antimicrobial resistance.
Currently UK only.
Metals against AMR - Understanding how bismuth inhibits metallo-β-lactamase enzymes at Nottingham Trent University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Metals against AMR - Understanding how bismuth inhibits metallo-β-lactamase enzymes at Nottingham Trent University, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
We are hiring PhD students in very different research areas! Please see two adverts below, and note that the second position is restricted to UK students only. Please re-post; interested candidates please contact me by email:
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
[FSE Bicentenary PhD] Controlling magnetic relaxation times in rare earth single-molecule magnets and qubits at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - [FSE Bicentenary PhD] Controlling magnetic relaxation times in rare earth single-molecule magnets and qubits at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
🚨 PhD Opportunity 🚨 🔁 Reposts appreciated!

My group at @manchester.ac.uk is recruiting a 3.5-year PhD student to explore Sb & Bi pincer complexes for metallomimetic chemistry.

🔬 Fully funded (UK only)
📍 Manchester
🧪 Synthetic inorganic chemistry

Apply 👉 tinyurl.com/yrjkvha9
Sustainable Catalysis with Sb and Bi Pincer Complexes at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - Sustainable Catalysis with Sb and Bi Pincer Complexes at The University of Manchester, listed on FindAPhD.com
tinyurl.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
We are seeking a motivated candidate to apply for the prestigious Bicentenary PhD Scholarship at the University of Manchester👩‍🔬🧑‍🔬

Interested applicants should contact me at giacomo.crisenza@manchester.ac.uk. We welcome applications from the UK and worldwide🗺️

Info: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
[FSE Bicentenary PhD] New Electrosynthetic Strategies to Nitrile Covalent Warheads, and Their Application to the Development of Electrochemically-Activated Prodrugs for Targeted Drug-Delivery at The ...
PhD Project - [FSE Bicentenary PhD] New Electrosynthetic Strategies to Nitrile Covalent Warheads, and Their Application to the Development of Electrochemically-Activated Prodrugs for Targeted Drug-De...
www.findaphd.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
We are recruiting! Two 24 month postdoc positions are available with @m-l-baker.bsky.social and I, one mainly synthesis and the other measurements of lanthanide SMMs. Links below, deadline 19th Aug - please re-post:
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Research Associate in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry:Manchester
As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit.
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk
August 5, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Our groups first foray into heterobimetallic Zn/Al chemistry. Congratulations to Jake, Josef, Avantika, George, Nik and @millsgroupchem.bsky.social.

chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...
Janus-Faced Reactivity of Heterobimetallic Al–Zn Complexes
p-Block complexes containing unsupported metal–metal bonds can activate small molecules via mechanisms that complement and contrast with those of d-block metal complexes. Within this compound class, A...
chemrxiv.org
August 4, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
Dual release with a bit of logic!

We show the release of a double cargo payload with 2 stimuli, force and water, with an AND gate mechanism.

Great work from Lei Chen, now available in #openaccess as a #HotPaper in @angewandtechemie.bsky.social

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

#chemsky
July 14, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
As promised, postdoc positions at BristolUni.bsky.social available in homogeneous catalysis and computational chemistry exploring the replacement of palladium catalysts by Earth-Abundant Metals: www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...

#ChemSky #CompChemSky #ChemJobs #UKChemJobs
July 11, 2025 at 8:13 AM
New paper from the group and a fantastic collab. with the de Visser group where we explore the iron-catalyzed hydroboration of nitriles via metal-ligand cooperative catalysis Congratulations Laura, Yi, Ryan, Sam.

chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Nitrile Hydroboration by Cooperative Iron Catalysis: An Experimental and Computational Study
Reductive amination is a challenging reaction in catalysis that often gives poor yield and selectivity. We present an ironcatalyzed approach of synthesizing amines through reduction of nitriles throu...
chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 24, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
Two independent analyses show that when looking at the size of substrate scopes published in Organic Letters, or in Organic Letters and JACS combined, the average number of examples reported has more than doubled in the past decade.
#ChemSky
Normalising huge substrate scopes worsens wellbeing
And holds up the pace of scientific progress
www.chemistryworld.com
May 29, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
Last few days to apply! Deadline: Thursday 29th May.
📢 Come join us in sunny Southampton ☀️

The opening for our Postdoctoral Research Associate in Organic Synthesis is now live!
jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=3086025EB

Deadline: Thurs 29th May 2025
Start date: Flexible – anytime from now to early 2026

@unisouthampton.bsky.social
May 27, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Are you interested in main-group heterobimetallic complexes and want to work in a fantastic department?
Come join us the University of Manchester.
The MSCA is now open.
Please email me directly if you are interested.

marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD and who wish to acquire new skills through advanced training, international, interdisciplinary ...
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu
May 14, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
We're recruiting a PDRA to work with our team at Oxford Chemistry @ox.ac.uk @oxfordchemistry.bsky.social ! If you are interested in synthetic inorganic chemistry and catalysis research, Apply!

my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Job Details
my.corehr.com
May 13, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
🚨PhD position in synthetic inorganic chemistry in our group.🚨 The position is joint with semiconductor company TOK and will involve trip(s) to Japan!
Please see the details below ⬇️

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
PhD in Chemistry: Synthesis of Transition Metal Precursors for Semiconductor Materials at Cardiff University on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - PhD in Chemistry: Synthesis of Transition Metal Precursors for Semiconductor Materials at Cardiff University, listed on FindAPhD.com
www.findaphd.com
May 9, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
Choose Science. Choose Europe.

A new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 call is now open.

With a budget of €404.3 million, it will support around 1,650 researchers from Europe and beyond.

Apply by 10 September → europa.eu/!fBTMgF
May 8, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
PhD Positions in main group and transition metal coordination chemistry available in my group. Please get in touch if you have any questions on the project. UK students only. www.findaphd.com/phds/cardiff...
Cardiff University PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships
FindAPhD. Search Funded PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships at Cardiff University.
www.findaphd.com
April 28, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
Join The University of Manchester, AstraZeneca, and Syngenta in a fully funded PhD program on Quantum Mechanics, Machine Learning, and Catalyst Design.

📢 Only one week left to apply! Don't miss out!

#PhD #Scholarship #QuantumChemistry #MachineLearning #CatalystDesign #CompChem
🚀 Join Us!
We have an exciting opportunity to join our research group!

This fully funded PhD position is part of the IPCat training programme.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need more information.

👉 Apply now: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

#PhD #compchem
April 8, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
Super happy to finally see the project I worked on during my placement year at AstraZeneca, in 2019-2020, published! Massive congrats to Oliver Ring and everyone else involved! Check it out below if you’re interested 🧪

www.linkedin.com/posts/oliver...
Oliver Ring on LinkedIn: Comprehensive Synthetic Route Redesign of AZD5991: A High-Complexity…
Thrilled to see our AZD5991 route design article published in #OPRD. Thanks to everyone who was involved! https://lnkd.in/eCp-ipfK After AstraZeneca…
www.linkedin.com
February 28, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
We have another PDRA position available in our group focused on computational and experimental mechanistic studies of organometallic catalysis. Deadline for applications is 19 March. Re-posts appreciated!

my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Job Details
my.corehr.com
February 25, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
Check out some gorgeous paramagnetic 31P NMR spectra of lanthanide phosphide complexes 🤩 now published in JACS Au! Led by Jack Baldwin and in collaboration with the groups of Dr Daniel Lee and @nfchilton.bsky.social. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
@gemmagransbury.bsky.social
31P NMR Chemical Shift Anisotropy in Paramagnetic Lanthanide Phosphide Complexes
Lanthanide (Ln) magnetic resonance imaging and chiral shift reagents generally exploit 1H NMR shifts, as paramagnetic broadening tends to preclude the use of heavier, less sensitive nuclei. Here, we report the solution and solid-state 31P NMR shifts of an isostructural series of distorted trigonal bipyramidal Ln(III) tris-silylphosphide complexes, [Ln{P(SiMe3)2}3(THF)2] (1-Ln; Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm); 1-Ln was also characterized by elemental analysis; single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction; multinuclear NMR, EPR, ATR-IR, and UV–vis-NIR spectroscopy; and SQUID magnetometry. Breaking assumptions, we observed paramagnetically broadened 31P NMR spectra for the Ln-bound P atoms for the 1-Ln family; in solution, 1-Nd showed the most downfield chemical shift (δ{31P} = 2570.14 ppm) and 1-Sm the most upfield value (δ{31P} = −259.21 ppm). We determined the span of the chemical shift anisotropies (CSAs) for solid 1-Ln using magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy; the CSA was largest for 1-Pr (Ω{31P} ≈ 2000 ppm), consistent with a combination of paramagnetism and the relatively large differences in pyramidalization of the three P atoms in the solid-state. Density functional theory calculations for 1-La were in excellent agreement with the experimentally determined 31P NMR parameters. We find good agreement of experimental 1H NMR chemical shifts with ab initio-calculated values for paramagnetic 1-Ln, while the shifts of heavier 13C, 29Si, and 31P nuclei are not well-reproduced due to the current limitations of paramagnetic NMR calculations for nuclei with large contact shifts.
pubs.acs.org
February 21, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Reposted by Darren Willcox
Interested in carrying out postdoctoral research at the interface of artificial intelligence, organic chemistry and catalysis? Join us in this collaborative project with the Bures group!!

Please follow the link below for further information:

www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Catalysis and Machine Learning:Oxford Road
www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk
February 4, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Excited to share the groups first publication of 2025 in Organic Letters. Many congratulations to @bethmoore99.bsky.social for getting this over the line! @pubs.acs.org Check it out doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.4c04717
Dichloromethyl(diaryl) Sulfonium Salts as gem-Dichlorocyclopropanation Reagents
gem-Dichlorocyclopropanes are important structural moieties in a range of industrial sectors and have been the focus of considerable interest within the synthetic community over the years. Synthetic m...
pubs.acs.org
February 3, 2025 at 8:13 AM