In the Lab: The Use of Recovered Metal Complexes in Catalysis

Research in the group led by James Wilton‐Ely focuses on catalysis, imaging and sensing. All of this work involves d- and f-elements and is underpinned by the group’s wide-ranging expertise in synthesis. Collaborations with researchers in engineering, medicine and bioimaging allow these discoveries to be used to address major healthcare and sustainability challenges. Professor Wilton-Ely is the author of more than 100 publications and was the recipient of the 2021 Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry for his work on metal-based carbon monoxide sensing. He has a strong interest in sustainability, having directed the MRes Green Chemistry course at Imperial College for over 12 years (2010–2022). He has published on the use of recovered metals in catalysis (1–5), the catalytic transformation of biomass to platform chemicals (6–11) and magnetically-recoverable nanoscale catalysts (12, 13). Elemental sustainability is a pressing concern for all researchers using precious metals and this has led Wilton-Ely to work with colleagues to explore the potential for using gold (3) and palladium (4, 5) complexes recovered from end-of-life products in catalysis.