Matthew Allen

View Matthew's 2020 Global Change Scholars Program Showcase video.

After completing a Bachelor of Advanced Science with Honours, I took up a PhD focusing on inorganic chemistry at the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences. I work in a front line area of chemistry where I design, synthesise and characterise molecules. In particular, the design of cage-like molecular structures that form in the shape of cubes and polyhedra known as supramolecular chemistry. I aim to incorporate rare earth metals – lanthanides, elements second to the bottom row of the periodic table – into the structures to take advantage of their unique properties. Very little is known about these kinds of molecules, so my goal is to test the cage’s viability for a number of applications such as acting as sensors, storage or improving other chemical reactions.

Matthew’s principal advisor is Dr Evan Moore.