Staff Profile

Previous research has focused on achieving molecular level control of polymorph appearance: My contribution to this area is to place the influence of polymorph transformation by solvents and additives on a molecular recognition basis. The use of predicted crystal structures has also been employed in this work and the application of surface stereo chemistry using graphs set was also employed to successfully design a glue to induce twinning in saccharin, where twinning was treated as the simplest case of epitaxy.

In the context of crystal engineering, an understanding of structural processes of nucleation, (i.e. the role of nucleation conditions, solution precursors and kinetics), in directing the crystallisation of the desired assembly or motif in the solid state is desirable. At present the minimization or elimination of the formation of unwanted but potentially kinetic or thermodynamically viable assemblies in solid state is an unresolved issue within crystal engineering but recently my studies have highlighted this issue.

Future work is to focus on insitu monitoring of polymorphic transformation, co-crystallisation during milling and directing epitaxy through habit modification. Along with ongoing work on polymorphism focusing on the role molecular assembly in solution may have on polymorph stabilization.

Davey RJ Blagden N
Crystal engineering: Nucleation control, 2002,
Crystal Engineering Communications, Vol, pp 257-264

Davey R J Blagden N Righini AH Ferrari ES
Crystal polymorphism as probe for molecular self-assembly during nucleation from solution: the case of 2,6 dihydroxybenzoic, 2002,
Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol 106(8), pp 1954-1959

Blagden N Cross W L Davey RJ Broderick M Pritchard G Roberts RJ and Rowe RC
Can crystal structure prediction be used as part of an integrated strategy for ensuring maximum diversity of isolated crystal forms? The case of 2-amino-4-nitrophenol, 2001,
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., Vol 3, pp 3819-3825

Blagden N
Crystal engineering of polymorph appearance, 2001,
Powder Technology, Vol 121, pp 46-52

Blagden N Davey RJ Alison H Fuller S
Solution structure and polymorph appearance: 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2001,
Crystal Growth and Design, Vol 1(1), pp 59-65

Davey RJ Williams-Seton L Lieberman H F and Blagden N
The application of a molecular glue to induce the twinning of saccharin, 1999,
Nature, Vol 402, pp 797-799

Blagden N Davey RJ
Polymorphism: solvent selection and impurity stabilization, 1999,
Chemistry in Britain, March, pp 44-47

Blagden N Davey RJ Lieberman HF Williams Payne R Roberts R Rowe R Docherty R
Crystal chemistry and solvent effects in polymorphic systems - Sulfathiazole, 1998,
Journal of the Chemical Society -Faraday Transactions, Vol 94(8), pp 1035-1044

Davey RJ Blagden N Potts GD and Docherty R
Polymorphism in molecular crystals: Stabilization of a metastable form by conformational mimicry, 1997,
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol 119(7), pp 1767-1772