School of Chemistry

Mark Heron

Senior Lecturer
Research section: Colour Science

Contact details

Keywords

Functional dyes
Photochromism
Organic synthesis
Heterocyclic chemistry

Research interests

Design, synthesis and optimisation of the performance of novel responsive dye systems e.g. photo-, electro-, thermo- and piezo- chromic dyes, and their applications. The synthesis and emission and absorption properties of methine, BODIPY and naphthalimide colorants. Synthetic methodology related to the de-novo synthesis of heterocyclic ring systems e.g. pyrans, thiopyrans, pyridines and their benzologues, pyrroles, pyrazoles and isoxazoles, and to novel phosphorus stabilised ylides. Investigation of new and alternative synthetic strategies to useful organic molecules.

Selected publications

The influence of a 1,1-diarylvinyl moiety on the photochromism of naphthopyrans; C. D. Gabbutt, B. M. Heron*, C. Kilner, S. B. Kolla, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2010, 8, pp. 4874 – 4883.

Benzopentalenonaphthalenones from the intramolecular capture of a merocyanine derived from a naphthopyran; C. D. Gabbutt, B. M. Heron*, C. Kilner, S. B. Kolla, ChemComm, 2010, 46, pp. 8481 – 8483.

Direct formation of alpha,beta-unsaturated dithioacetals from diarylpropynols; A. J. Curtis, C. D. Gabbutt, B. M. Heron*, C. Kilner, Tetrahedron Lett., 2011, 52, pp. 708 – 710.

Thiopyrans and their Benzo Derivatives; J. D. Hepworth and B. M. Heron*, Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry III, Eds. A. R. Katritzky, C. A. Ramsden, E. F. V. Scriven and R. J. K. Taylor, Elsevier (Amsterdam), 2008, vol. 7, pp. 727 – 954.