Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Research activities and interests within the group focus on several different aspects of the synthesis of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for sustainable chemical transformations and green chemistry.
Our work involves a major synthetic component, most of which is carried out using inert atmosphere techniques. Work utilises solution-state NMR (within the department), mass spectrometry, electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography to probe the structure of the homogeneous catalysts.
Production of biopolymers: In this area my group is developing new initiators for the production of polylactide (PLA), co-polymers and polymers from terpenes. PLA is a biodegradable and annually renewable polymer. We are pioneering new ligands and complexes for the production of isotactic PLA – this work has recently been published in Chemical Science 2015 and Chemical Communications 2014, 2016. These papers describe a new “self-correcting” method of the polymerisation of lactide and illustrate the subtle nature that the initiator has on selectivity and rate of polymerisation.
Catalytic upgrading of renewables:
In this area we are interested in the conversion of ethanol into 1,3-butadiene (a monomer for the production of synthetic rubber). This is driven by the in-stability in the supply and the cost fluctuation of the monomer. There has been a lot of work in this area in the 1920’s, but with the bountiful supply of crude oil the “bio” route fell out of favour. This work has attracted industrial interest, (e.g. a patent has been filed WO2014180778A1) where we have developed a catalyst that is capable of producing butadiene with a selectivity in excess of 70%. There are still significant challenges posed by this research. For example, the selectivity towards ethylene and diethyl ether are relatively high. We are working on new catalysts (understanding how the acid/base properties affect this) to minimise these unwanted side reactions.
Also we are also working on projects involving the catalytic depolymerisation of lignin. This is important in the 21st Century as lignin represents a major un-tapped resource.
Keywords
- biopolymers
- catalysis
- sustainable chemistry
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Network
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Biodegradable Bioplastics – assessing environmental risk
Buchard, A., Davidson, M. & Jones, M.
Natural Environment Research Council
17/11/20 → 16/11/24
Project: Research council
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Strand 3 PhD Mobility 2017-2018
Patterson, E. E., Jones, M., Shivaprasad, P., van der Schaaf, J. & Noël, T.
1/10/18 → 1/04/19
Project: Research-related funding
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Novel membrane catalytic reactor for waste polylactic acid recycling and valorisation
Jones, M. & Patterson, D.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
26/06/17 → 25/09/20
Project: Research council
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UK Catalysis Hub - Reaction-Separation Engineering for the Production of Bio-Based Chemicals
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
28/11/16 → 30/11/18
Project: Research council
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IAA - NOx Aftertreatment Development
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
1/08/16 → 31/03/17
Project: Research council
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Aluminium(III) and Zinc(II) complexes of azobenzene-containing ligands for ring- opening polymerisation of e-caprolactone and rac-lactide
Kaler, S., McKeown, P., Ward, B. & Jones, M., 7 Feb 2021, In: Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers. 8, 3, p. 711-719Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Here’s everything you need to know about chemical recycling – and how it could solve our plastic problem
Payne, J. & Jones, M., 6 Apr 2021, World Economic Forum.Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article
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Make or Break: Mg(II)- and Zn(II)-Catalen Complexes for PLA Production and Recycling of Commodity Polyesters
Payne, J., Kociok-Kohn, G., Emanuelsson, E. A. C. & Jones, M., 13 Jan 2021, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Polymer Chemistry.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Plastic pollution: how chemical recycling technology could help fix it
Payne, J. & Jones, M., 2021, The Conversation.Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article
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The Chemical Recycling of Polyesters for a Circular Plastics Economy: Challenges and Emerging Opportunities
Jones, M. & Payne, J., 7 Apr 2021, (E-pub ahead of print) In: ChemSusChem.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Datasets
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Advanced optimisations of fac-mer and trans-meso isomers of Zr(3)(OiPr)2
Buchard, A. (Creator), Jones, M. (Project Leader) & McKeown, P. (Project Member), Figshare, 6 Oct 2014
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.1190538, http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1190538
Dataset
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Dataset for: N-doped Fe@CNT for combined RWGS/FT CO2 hydrogenation
Williamson, D. (Creator), Herdes Moreno, C. (Creator), Torrente Murciano, L. (Creator), Jones, M. (Creator) & Mattia, D. (Creator), University of Bath, 11 Mar 2019
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-00616
Dataset
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Metal influence on the iso- and hetero-selectivity of complexes of bipyrrolidine derived Salan ligands for the polymerisation of rac-lactide
Jones, M. (Creator), Buchard, A. (Creator), McKeown, P. (Creator), Brady, L. (Creator), Lowe, J. (Creator), Mahon, M. (Creator), Thomas, L. (Creator) & Woodman, T. (Creator), Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015
DOI: 10.1039/C5SC01819F, http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1420458
Dataset
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Aluminium Salalens vs. Salans: “Initiator Design” for the Isoselective Polymerisation of rac-Lactide
Jones, M. (Creator), Davidson, M. (Creator), Mckeown, P. (Creator) & Kociok-Kohn, G. (Creator), University of Bath, 7 Jul 2016
DOI: 10.15125/BATH-00220
Dataset
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DFT Study of Aluminium complexes of bipyrrolidine derived Salan ligands for the hetero- selective polymerisation of rac-lactide
Buchard, A. (Creator), Jones, M. (Project Leader) & McKeown, P. (Project Member), Figshare, 20 May 2015
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.1420458, http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1420458
Dataset