Role
Dr Warren Cross is the Courses Manager for Chemistry at Nottingham Trent University; in this role, he leads on curriculum development and provides operational management for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Chemistry.
In his teaching on modules in organic chemistry and professional skills, Warren employs cutting-edge teaching methods that emphasize active collaborative learning and digital enhancement.
In addition, he leads a dynamic research group focused on sustainable synthetic methods and biomolecule functionalisation. The work of his research group aims to develop new therapeutic molecules, contributing to advancements in healthcare and sustainable practices.
Career overview
- Principal Lecturer and Courses Manager, NTU, 2024-present
- Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry, NTU, 2013-2024
- Lecturer in Organic Chemistry, University of Leicester, 2007-2013
- Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow, University of Nottingham, 2006-7
- Post-doctoral Research Fellow, University of Nottingham, 2003-6
- PhD, University College London, 1999-2003
Research areas
Dr Cross's research group focuses on the invention and development of new methods for organic synthesis, with particular emphasis on metal-catalysed C-H functionalization reactions. His group adopts a multi-disciplinary approach that includes both experimental and computational organic / organometallic chemistry to establish sustainable technology for chemical synthesis. A new focus of the group is using innovative chemical synthesis to tackle biological challenges.
Controlling C-H activation
Conventional approaches to synthesis use functional groups, either carbon-heteroatom bonds or carbon-carbon multiple bonds, to construct target molecules. In contrast, new methods that use carbon-hydrogen bonds as functional groups - in a process called C-H activation - enable more direct synthetic routes with fewer synthetic steps. The use of C-H activation, however, presents a new and significant challenge: with so many C-H bonds, how can the selectivity of the C-H activation be controlled? To realise the full potential of C-H functionalization reactions, the Cross group are exploring sophisticated methods for the control of site-selectivity in metal catalysed C-H activation.
Exploiting C-H functionalization in new synthetic strategies
In addition to increasing synthetic efficiency, C-H functionalization also enables new synthetic strategies. The Cross research group has developed methods for post-synthetic peptide modification using C-H functionalization; they are pursuing applications of this new technology in understanding biological mechanism, the diagnosis of disease and in drug discovery.
Opportunities exist to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil / PhD in the areas identified above. Further information may be obtained on the NTU Research Degrees website https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/research-degrees-at-ntu
External activity
- Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- Member of the EPSRC peer review college
Sponsors and collaborators
Current and recent research is being conducted with the collaboration, funding and / or support of:
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- EPSRC UK National Service for Computational Chemistry Software
- The Leverhulme Trust.
Recent research funding includes:
- Exploring a 1,2-addition mechanism for catalytic C-H activation EPSRC EP/H028323/1 (2010-2011), £100,346
- A catalytic functionalisation of alkanes, Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship ECF/40180 (2006-2008), £48,753.
Active collaborations involve research groups at NTU and at the University of Leicester.
Publications
Selected Publications
- C–H Olefination of Tryptophan Residues in Peptides: Control of Residue Selectivity and Peptide–Amino Acid Cross-linking. Terrey, M. J.; Holmes, A.; Perry, C. C.; Cross, W. B.Organic Letters, 2019, 21 (19), 7902-7907 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.9b02894
- Postsynthetic Modification of Phenylalanine Containing Peptides by C–H Functionalization. Terrey, M. J.; Perry, C. C.; Cross, W. B.Organic Letters, 2019, 21 (1), 104-108 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.8b03536.
- Ligand and Solvent Control of Selectivity in the C–H Activation of a Pyridylimine-Substituted 1-Naphthalene; a Combined Synthetic and Computational Study. Simayi, R.; Gillbard, S. M.; Cross, W. B.; Hope, E. G.; Singh, K.; Solan, G. A. Dalton Trans. 2018, 47 (33), 11680–11690 DOI: 10.1039/C8DT02565G.
- C(sp3)–H activation without a directing group: regioselective synthesis of N-Ylide or N-heterocyclic carbene complexes controlled by the choice of metal and ligand. Cross, W. B.; Razak, S.; Singh, K.; Warner, A. J. Chem.-Eur. J. 2014, 20 (41), 13203–13209 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201403860.
- Combined experimental and computational investigations of rhodium- and ruthenium-catalyzed C–H functionalization of pyrazoles with alkynes. Algarra, A. G.; Cross, W. B.; Davies, D. L.; Khamker, Q.; Macgregor, S. A.; Mcmullin, C. L.; Singh, K. J. Org. Chem. 2014, 79 (5), 1954–1970 DOI: 10.1021/jo402592z.
- From discrete monomeric complexes to hydrogen-bonded dimeric assemblies based on sterically encumbered square planar palladium(ii) ONN-pincers. Adeyi, O.; Cross, W. B.; Forrest, G.; Godfrey, L.; Hope, E. G.; McLeod, A.; Singh, A.; Singh, K.; Solan, G. A.; Wang, Y.; Wright, L. A. Dalton Trans. 2013, 42 (21), 7710–7723 DOI: 10.1039/c3dt50176k.
- N,N-Chelate-control on the regioselectivity in acetate-assisted C-H activation. Cross, W. B.; Hope, E. G.; Lin, Y.-H.; Macgregor, S. A.; Singh, K.; Solan, G. A.; Yahya, N. Chem. Commun. 2013, 49 (19), 1918–1920 DOI: 10.1039/c3cc38697j.
- Variable coordination of amine functionalised N-heterocyclic carbene ligands to Ru, Rh and Ir: C-H and N-H activation and catalytic transfer hydrogenation. Cross, W. B.; Daly, C. G.; Boutadla, Y.; Singh, K. Dalton Trans. 2011, 40 (38), 9722–9730 DOI: 10.1039/c1dt10753d.
- N-heterocyclic carbene tethered amido complexes of palladium and platinum. Cross, W. B.; Daly, C. G.; Ackerman, R. L.; George, I. R.; Singh, K. Dalton Trans. 2011, 40 (2), 495–505 DOI: 10.1039/c0dt01149e.
Press expertise
- Chemical synthesis
- Catalysis
- Organometallic chemistry
- Computational chemistry
UN Sustainable Development Goals
UN Sustainable Development Goals
