Professor Amilra De Silva
Fluorescent sensors, molecular devices, molecular switches, molecular logic and computation, supramolecular chemistry, blood electrolyte and gas analyzers Professor Amilra De Silva
Chair of Organic Chemistry
Office: DKB LG.112 I Tel: +44 (0)28 9097 4422
Research
We build sensors according to the fluorescent PET (photoinduced electron transfer) switching principle, which was first generalized by us. Some of these sensors have had sales of $540m so far in the hands of Optimedical Inc. and Idexx laboratories Inc.. We introduced molecular logic as a new experimental field.
We have now begun to persuade molecules to emulate some information-processing tasks that we perform often, e.g. drawing the outline of a picture.
Recent Publications
“Building pH Sensors into Paper-based Small-molecular Logic Systems for Very Simple Detection of Edges of Objects”
J. Ling, G. W. Naren, J. Kelly, T. S. Moody, A. P. de Silva, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 3763-3766.
Highlighted in Nature Chemistry, Chemistry World and ChemistryViews.
“Small Molecular Logic Systems can Draw the Outlines of Objects via Edge Visualization”
J. Ling, G. W. Naren, J. Kelly, D. B. Fox, A. P. de Silva, Chem. Sci. 2015, 6, 4472-4478.
Highlighted in Materials Today.
“Measurement of Local Sodium Ion Levels near Micelle Surfaces with Fluorescent Photoinduced-Electron-Transfer Sensors”
S. Uchiyama, E. Fukatsu, G. D. McClean, A. P. de Silva, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, 55, 768-771.