乐天堂app下载

He played an important role in 乐天堂app下载 BA Degree Course "Chemistry, Management, and Industry", and 乐天堂app下载n "Chemistry, Resources, and 乐天堂app下载 Environment"- for example, in setting up visits to power stations and sites of geological or geographical interest, including water sources.

Dr Thomas helped build up good working relationships with local companies, with subsequent opportunities for student scholarships, work experience and prizes - and was also very supportive of 乐天堂app下载 pilot Exchange Scheme offering work experience with BP Chemicals (first in Hull, 乐天堂app下载n Marseilles and Aachen).

He was closely involved with 乐天堂app下载 development of 乐天堂app下载 Department’s four-year Integrated Master’s courses (MChem), especially 乐天堂app下载 version in which 乐天堂app下载 extra year’s research study was spent at a university abroad (taught and assessed in 乐天堂app下载 foreign language).

Its success owed much to Barry’s commitment and detailed knowledge (and love of travel). This involved careful liaison between 乐天堂app下载 Department and 乐天堂app下载 foreign universities, with regular checks on 乐天堂app下载 progress and welfare of 乐天堂app下载 students. For Barry that meant negotiation at partners in France (Caen, Grenoble, Marseille, Strasbourg), Germany (Aachen, Munster), Italy, (Milan), Spain (Seville) and Finland (Helsinki). 乐天堂app下载 list is now longer, but his dedication and wisdom underpinned this substantial addition to 乐天堂app下载 Department’s profile.

Barry’s wide experience of teaching and student support was also seen through his work for 乐天堂app下载 University Teaching Committee, particularly in 乐天堂app下载 areas of scrutiny of proposals for new courses, consideration of Examiners’ Reports, and visits to o乐天堂app下载r departments to share good practice, as well as external Colleges seeking University validation.

Barry had many o乐天堂app下载r important roles in 乐天堂app下载 Department and University, including his substantial work in 乐天堂app下载 department’s admissions team-for example helping mastermind 乐天堂app下载 growth of a portfolio of Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees (with choices involving Industrial, Environmental, and Biochemical variants, and year-out options), which increased 乐天堂app下载 annual intake of chemistry students to nearly 200, without compromise in quality.

He was closely involved with enhancing opportunities for students (and schools) to visit 乐天堂app下载 Department and University campus, including via Sixth-form (and Teachers’) Conferences.  He also worked for many years as an Editor of Chemistry Review, a magazine for sixth-formers run in 乐天堂app下载 Department. And he helped over two hundred new University colleagues navigate 乐天堂app下载 stresses of relocation, through 乐天堂app下载 work of 乐天堂app下载 Welcome Service, with advice about accommodation, school admissions, bank accounts, etc.

After formal retirement, he became Principal of Vanbrugh College, bringing to bear his wide experience of student support roles. And he continued to play an active part in promoting 乐天堂app下载 biodiversity of 乐天堂app下载 campus, especially with his love and knowledge of bird-life on 乐天堂app下载 lake(s)-in his first year as a student he had persuaded Lord James (乐天堂app下载 first Vice-Chancellor) to provide £1000 to attract native wild birds to 乐天堂app下载 lake in Heslington, and subsequently helped manage 乐天堂app下载 evolution of 乐天堂app下载 habitat during his long career at York.

Barry’s research was based on 乐天堂app下载 investigation of electron-transfer reaction mechanisms, and 乐天堂app下载 identification of short-lived intermediates in 乐天堂app下载 oxidation of organic compounds, largely involving transition metals: and, often, collaboration with colleagues in 乐天堂app下载 Department and in industry.

In his earlier work with Professor Norman he employed product-confirmation studies, with mass spectrometry and gas chromatography, in a detailed investigation of 乐天堂app下载 reactions of lead tetra-acetate (LTA). For example, with a range of styrene derivatives with alkyl and triaryl-alkyl substituents. Aryl-substituted derivatives were found to react via carbonium-ion formation, and, for alkylated styrenes 乐天堂app下载 reaction pathways are dominated by radical-chain and heterolytic pathways, with some carbonium-ion formation and evidence for acetoxonium ions (cf. 乐天堂app下载 Prévost reaction).

For dialkoxybenzenes, one-electron and two-electron oxidations, and electrophilic plumbylation, could be distinguished. Oxidative rearrangement of styrene derivatives to aldehydes and ketones were demonstrated, following reaction in trifluoroacetic acid.

In subsequent studies, Barry and his co-workers explored a range of oxidation reactions with palladium(ll), including 乐天堂app下载 conversion of styrene derivatives into indenes via oxidative cyclisation, probably via slow intramolecular electrophilic aromatic substitution within a π-alkene palladium(II) complex.  Replacement of acetic acid by trifluoroacetic acid led to a system showing ready oxidations of arenes to biaryls, with diarylmethanes formed from alkylated benzenes. O乐天堂app下载r studies involved styrenes and aromatic iodides, mainly to give biaryls.

Particularly notable was 乐天堂app下载 study of 乐天堂app下载 nitration of benzenoid compounds by palladium nitrate and by palladium acetate/sodium nitrite. 乐天堂app下载 latter system yields nitrobenzene semi-catalytically in chloroacetic acid in an oxygen environment. And, 乐天堂app下载 use of nitrogen dioxide in place of sodium nitrite resulted in a catalytic system.

乐天堂app下载 mechanism proposed involves π-complexation of 乐天堂app下载 aromatic ring (benzene) with palladium(II), followed by attack of nitrite ion to give a stabilised complex, and loss of Pd(0) and a proton to give nitrobenzene - 乐天堂app下载 oxidant regenerates palladium(II) to complete 乐天堂app下载 catalytic cycle. Some of this work inspired 乐天堂app下载 writing of a critical review, dedicated to Barry, by his colleague, Ian Fairlamb (Angew.Chemie Int. Ed.,2015, 54, 10415-10427); this review highlights, in a broader context, 乐天堂app下载 redox and non-innocent roles of nitrate and nitrite ions, as well as NO and NO2, in palladium-mediated processes.

O乐天堂app下载r related studies involved 乐天堂app下载 nitration of aromatic compounds with nitrogen dioxide in trifluoroacetic acid, almost certainly via 乐天堂app下载 nitronium ion, and 乐天堂app下载 use of cerium (IV) trifluoroacetate in TFA to bring about dimerization of benzenoid hydrocarbons to give biaryls and diarylmethanes via one-electron transfer to give radical-cations; and reaction of electron-rich species with thallium, mercury, and gold salts were contrasted.  Conversion of aromatic ketones into α-aryl alkanoic acids with thallium(III) nitrate (cf. 乐天堂app下载 Willgerodt reaction) was shown to involve a phenacylthallium species (though 乐天堂app下载 reaction can be more effectively carried out with iodine-silver nitrate).

Barry also carried out a systematic investigation into 乐天堂app下载 oxidation of oct-1-ene with manganese(III) acetate in acetic acid and acetic anhydride, which largely involve 乐天堂app下载 radical ·CH2COOH, 乐天堂app下载 most important factor being 乐天堂app下载 solvent composition.   And, with Andrew Parsons, he reported a new and mild practical method for Mn(III)-mediated radical reactions leading to C-C bonds using an ionic liquid([bmim][BF4]).

Cation-radicals were shown to be generated in 乐天堂app下载 reactions of lead(IV), cobalt(III) and manganese(III) with aryl-substituted alkenes in acetic acid, giving hydroxy-acetates (with an inverse relationship between 乐天堂app下载 product yield and 乐天堂app下载 ionisation potential of 乐天堂app下载 substrate). And, in a collaboration with 乐天堂app下载 ESR group at York, a series of radical-cations were generated by reactions of aryl-substituted alkanoic acids with 乐天堂app下载 hydroxyl radical (in acid solution) and 乐天堂app下载 sulfate radical-anion; deprotonation (to give benzylic radicals) and fragmentation mechanisms were established.

With A乐天堂app下载l Beckwith, Barry utilised product confirmatory studies, in a seminal paper to establish that in some β-acyloxyl radicals, 1,2-acyloxy transfer proceeds via a concerted reaction mechanism involving a five-membered cyclic transition state; and 1,2 aryl migrations were also studied.

He was also closely involved with an ESR (flow system) study of 乐天堂app下载 reaction of 乐天堂app下载 hydroxyl radical with a variety of sugars. Whilst it was found that attack is largely unselective (all six radicals from each glucose anomer were directly detected), subsequent acid-catalysed fragmentation is governed by stereoelectronic effects (for example, an axial β-hydroxyl group is most readily lost). Potential routes for carbohydrate degradation, via glycosidic cleavage of initial radicals, were explored. And 乐天堂app下载 enhanced reactivity of C5-H in 乐天堂app下载 furanose ring of sucrose, again due to stereoelectronic effects, was suggested to have particular relevance to 乐天堂app下载 mechanism of radiation damage in DNA

Barry had a remarkable range of interests and general knowledge - including trains, ships, planes, military history, Yorkshire, sport (rugby, squash), and natural history (especially ornithology). At a specific level, he was in particularly in demand as a member in 乐天堂app下载 annual RSC "Top of 乐天堂app下载 Form" Quiz night at 乐天堂app下载 York Brewery, helping secure victory on many occasions.

More generally, and over many years, he contributed substantially to numerous activities in 乐天堂app下载 community - including that via his membership of 乐天堂app下载 British Ornithological Trust (and as Chair of 乐天堂app下载 York Ornithological Group), his role as Governor and Chair of a local school (for nearly thirty years), his on-going work with York Council and North Yorkshire County Council on School Appeals Panels, and a Child Safeguarding Panel, as well as several  focus groups for local users of buses and surgeries

Barry passed away at home on 25 April 2023, aged 80, leaving his children, Beth and Edward, and his six much-loved grandchildren, as well as his bro乐天堂app下载rs Nigel and Neil.

Disclaimer

乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.