Simon is a native of Shropshire, and received his scientific training in Oxford, South Bend (Indiana) and London. His first academic appointment was in Cardiff, and since 2007 he has been Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of the Queen's College.
His group's work focusses on moulding the chemistry of main group compounds to achieve ground-breaking reactivity in the capture and activation of small molecules. Much of this work focuses on the design and synthesis of compounds based on s- and p-block elements, targeting systems with unprecedented bonding motifs and/or electronic structure, and which are capable of the transformation of industrially relevant substrates. Ultimately, this work aims to develop systems which alter the perception of the capabilities of main group compounds in stoichiometric and catalytic reactions.
Simon is a recipient of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Frankland and Main Group Chemistry awards and of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's Forschungspreis; since 2019 he has been the director of two doctoral training centres focussing on the synthesis and application of inorganic molecules and materials.
Professional position
- Professor of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford
Subject groups
-
Chemistry
Chemistry, general, Chemistry, inorganic, Chemistry, materials
