Friday, 17 January 2025 11:00am – 12:00pm

This seminar will be delivered in New Law Lecture Theatre 104

Speaker: Professor Tony D. James

Host: Prof. Kate Jolliffe

Title: Fluorescent chemosensors and imaging agents

Abstract: Sensors and imaging agents can be used to monitor analytes within physiological, environmental, and industrial scenarios. The interactions between the “chemosensor” and an analyte of choice occurs on a molecular level and as such gathering and processing the information is challenging. Therefore, I will outline the trials and challenges encountered in the development of several robust chemical molecular sensors “chemosensors” able to detect such analytes selectively and signal or map their concentration in a biological or environmental scenario. During the talk you will be introduced to a variety of fluorescent probes designed for diols (D-glucose), and redox imbalance. With the goal being the development of chemosensors capable of determining the concentration (and location) of a target species in any medium. Particular attention will be paid to the underlying chemistry associated with the construction of practical chemosensors for both sensing and imaging applications.

References:

1. ‘Dual-locked spectroscopic probes for sensing and therapy’ L. Wu, J. Huang, K. Pu and T. D. James Nat. Rev. Chem. 2021, 5, 406–421.
2. ‘Room-temperature phosphorescent materials derived from natural resources’ X. Luo, B. Tian, Y. Zhai, H. Guo, S. Liu, J. Li, S. Li and T. D. James, and Z. Chen. Nat. Rev. Chem., 2023, 7, 800-812.
3. ‘Fluorescent Probes for Disease Diagnosis’ X. Wang, Q. Ding, R. R. Groleau, L. Wu, Y. Mao, F. Che, O. Kotova, E. M. Scanlan, S. E. Lewis, P. Li, B. Tang, T. D. James, and T. Gunnlaugsson Chem. Rev. 2024, 124, 7106-7164.
4. ‘Theranostic Fluorescent Probes’ A. Sharma, P. Verwilst, M. Li, D. Ma, N. Singh, J. Yoo, Y. Kim, Y. Yang, J. H. Zhu, H. Huang, X. L. Hu, X. P. He, L. Zeng, T. D. James, X. Peng, J. L. Sessler, and J. S. Kim. Chem. Rev. 2024, 124, 2699-2804.

Bio: Tony D James is a Professor at the University of Bath and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. BSc (1986) at the University of East Anglia, PhD (1991) at the University of Victoria, Canada, and PDRF (1992-95) in Japan with Seiji Shinkai. Was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship at the University of Birmingham (1995-2000) before moving to the University of Bath in 2000.

He was awarded the Daiwa-Adrian Prize (2013), CASE Prize (2015), MSMLG Czarnik Award (2018), Frontiers in Chemistry Diversity Award (2020) and Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2017-2022). He is an Editor for Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Specialty Chief Editor Supramolecular Chemistry, Frontiers in Chemistry and Associate Editor of Smart Molecules. He has published over 507 publications, including 4 books, 10 book chapters and 493 papers. Has a h-index of 93 and has been listed by Clarivate as a Highly Cited Researcher since 2022.