Dr Peter Cragg

Peter’s interest in chemistry started as a small child when his chemist father brought colour-changing solutions home from his lab. Following a degree from the University of Nottingham, Peter fled Thatcher’s Britain for Reagan’s America and the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, where he researched the chemistry of azacrown lariat ethers. Since then he has styled himself a ‘supramolecular chemist’ learning such valuable skills as air sensitive techniques and X-ray crystallography (Alabama), multistep organic synthesis (SUNY, Long Island, NY) and computer modelling (University of Reading, UK) before joining the 九色视频 in 1993.

He has been an active researcher ever since, supervising PhD students, collaborating with colleagues worldwide and writing research papers. He is also the author of two books on supramolecular chemistry and numerous reviews. Peter is a longstanding member of both the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a member of the RSC Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry interest group and served for many years as its Secretary and Treasurer.

Peter-Cragg

How I like to teach

I believe that it is important to demonstrate how fundamental chemical principles underpin both cutting edge research and the solutions to real world problems. I use recent research papers and chemically-related world events to illustrate my lectures – none more so than the “What’s hot in chemistry” first year lectures where I introduce new examples every two weeks. I also like to show the relevance of chemistry to other fields which may not appear obvious at first, for example, how changes in Western art can be linked to advances in metal purification.

My research interests

My research is in the field of supramolecular chemistry and its overlap with bioinorganic chemistry, supported by computational methods. I am fortunate to work in a highly multidisciplinary School where collaborations with biologists and pharmacologists have helped me work effectively at the chemistry-life sciences interface.

Research activity

Current research projects:

Previous research projects:

  • A computational protocol to model organophosph(on)ate chemical warfare agents and their simulants [2015-16]
  • Fabrication of particles with photoreceptors: bio-analytical applications in controlled drug delivery – PHOTORELEASE [2011-14]

Research Centres and Groups:

Social media

 

Contact me

Dr Peter Cragg
Reader

Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Moulsecoomb
Brighton
BN2 4GJ

Telephone: +44(0)1273642037

Email: P.J.Cragg@brighton.ac.uk

Biography

I am a multidisciplinary chemist with a background in synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry, X-ray crystallography and computational chemistry. My research is usually collaborative which allows me to work at chemistry’s biological or materials interface with colleagues at Brighton and to collaborate with researchers in other universities and establishments, primarily through my application of computational chemistry to problems involving molecular recognition.

Research output

Consultancy

Consultancy work has included:

  • Neutralisation of cyanogenic glycosides and removal of HCN from ground linseed meal (2011)
  • Vapour cleaning of works of art and historic archival documents on paper (2011)
  • Assessment and optimisation of the pectin content in commercial samples (2013)

PhD students

 
NameThesis
Megi Kamenica (2015-2018) In situ metal ion detection 
Blaise Geoghegan (2015-2018) Switchable Iron(II) based surfactants
Elaheh Sirjani (2015-2018)  in vitro synthetic biology 3D surface modified molecular machines
Kushal Sharma ( 2012-2017) Probing ion transport mechanisms with synthetic channel-forming molecules
Past PhD students
Raghu Kothur (2016) Pillar[5]arene-based sensors
Khayzuran Iqbal (2012) Transmembrane ion transport by calixarenes
Rosemary Sheehan (2005) Supramolecular chemistry in silico
Flavia Fucassi (2000) Design and synthesis of novel ligands for lanthanide complexation

Roles

  • EPSRC College member (2006-10, 2010-)
  • Editor-in-Chief, Supramolecular Catalysis (2012-14)
  • Associate Editor, Science Letters Journal (2010-date)
  • Editorial Board, Supramolecular Chemistry (2004-date), Sensors (2007-date), Science Advances Today (2016-date)
  • PhD external examiner and 九色视频 PhD examination Chair

Awards

Professor Rudolph A. Marcus Award 2016 given by Publishing Division of Cognizure and LOGNOR