Research Interests

Synthesis of materials for Organic Field Effect Transistors (OFETs), Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) and photovoltaics. Use of dendrimers as novel catalyst supports and self organising liquid crystal suprastructures. Total synthesis of labelled natural products. Flash Vacuum Pyrolysis.

I have joined the Turner group to work on polyarylamines (PAAs) for use in functional OFETs. Rather than aim particularly for the best modifications to achieve high OFET performance, the work here is part of a broad based programme aimed to evaluate the potential of modified PAAs for use in OFET sensors.

Many alterations are under investigation. Along with the synthesis of novel monomers, we plan to look into the effects of blending the polymers with other OFET materials, modify device structures and find robust polymers and blends for use in 2 dimensional transistors.
Background

Some of my recent investigations have involved a stray from materials and into natural product synthesis with Nigel Botting. This is not such an unnatural shift since during my first postdoctoral appointment with Andrew Holmes in the Melville laboratory, his group was equally split between both fields and developments could be exploited at the interface. My work there involved the synthesis of molecular and polymeric OFET materials.

Between these appointments I worked on Dendrimers based on Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) cores and POSS based network polymers to produce novel catalyst supports with Russell Morris and Ian Shannon. I followed this with a move to the states to work with Virgil Percec on self assembling denrimer suprastructures in 2001.

My introduction to research involved work on Flash Vacuum Pyrolysis with Alan Aitken in St Andrews from which I obtained an M. Phil with Distinction. I carried on there to complete my PhD with Joe Crayston in 1997. During this time we pioneered the now widely investigated topic of triplet harvesting in OLEDs.

Outside interests.

Away from the lab I’ve enjoyed so many different things. Along with old standards like football, I’ve been a finalist in the south Philadelphia Bocce league, top of the croquet ladder in St Andrews, enjoyed squash, tennis, swimming, cycling, darts, cribbage and now have a short term ambition to re-establish the haggis in the north east of England.

Selected publications

• Cover article: “Exploring and Expanding the Structural Diversity of Self-Assembling Dendrons through Combinations of AB, Constitutional Isomeric AB2, and AB3 Biphenyl-4-Methyl Ether Building Blocks.” Virgil Percec, Marian N. Holerca, Sami Nummelin, John J. Morrison, Martin Glodde, Jan Smidrkal, Mihai Peterca, Brad M. Rosen, Satoshi Uchida, Venkatachalapathy S. K. Balagurusamy, Monika J. Sienkowska, Paul A. Heiney, Chem. Eur. J. Published Online: 14 Jul 2006 26pp
• “The synthesis of [²H₅] Gluconasturtiin and its metabolites for Metabolic Studies.” John J. Morrison and Nigel P. Botting, J. Labelled Cmpd, Radiopharm. 2005, 48, 897-907.
• “Synthesis of functionalised porous network silsesquioxane polymers.” J. J. Morrison, C. J. Love, B. W. Manson I. J. Shannon and R. E. Morris. J. Mater. Chem., 2002, 12, 3208-3212.
• “Flash Vacuum pyrolysis over magnesium. Part 1. Pyrolysis of benzylic, other aryl/alkyl and aliphatic halides.” R. A. Aitken, P. K. Hodgson, J. J. Morrison and A. O. Oyewale, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 2002, 402-415.
• “Luminescent supramolecular assemblies based on hydrogen-bonded complexes of stilbenecarboxylic acids and dithieno[3,2-b;2′,3′-d]thiophene-2-carboxylic acids with a tris(imidazoline) base.” F. Osterod, L. Peters, A. Kraft, T. Sano, J. J. Morrison, N. Feeder, A. B. Holmes, J. Mater. Chem., 2001, 11, 1625-1633.
• “Preparation of bis(dithienothiophene) derivatives for organic Thin Film Transistors.” J. J. Morrison, M. M. Murray, X. C. Li, A. B. Holmes, S. C. Moratti, R. H. Friend and H. Sirringhaus, Synth. Met. 1999, 102, 987-988.