Dr Brian Chalmers

Director of Teaching

Senior Lecturer

Researcher profile

Phone

+44 (0)1334 46 3785

Email

bac8@st-andrews.ac.uk

 

Biography

Dr Brian Chalmers studied for an MChem Chemistry degree at the University of St Andrews (2011), before completing his PhD, also at St Andrews, under the supervision of Dr Petr Kilian (2015). His research focused on phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony peri-substituted acenaphthenes. Afterwards, he completed one year as an EPSRC Research Fellow in the same research group expanding the scope of his research include selenium, publishing over 15 from this research. Brian joined the academic staff roster in the School of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews in 2016 when he was appointed as an Associate Lecturer (Education Focused). He was promoted to Lecturer (Education Focused) in 2019, followed by a further promotion to Senior Lecturer (Education Focused) in 2024.

Brian is the current Director of Teaching in the School of Chemistry, having been the deputy for some years prior. Brian is primarily focused toward teaching practical chemistry techniques/skills to undergraduate students of all levels. He is experienced in developing new chemistry laboratory courses/experiments. 

Brian has established himself as an expert in teaching inorganic chemistry within the School, continually delivering high-quality undergraduate teaching and leading projects aimed at course development, modernising and developing lab experiments, and improving the student experience. Brian is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA) and in 2020, Brian won the Best Teacher in Science Award in the Students' Association Teaching Awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions to teaching. Brian is a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC).

Teaching

Brian contributes to teaching at both sub-honours and honours levels through lectures, tutorials, workshops, and labs.

Brian is the Chemistry Coordinator for the interdisciplinary module ID4001 (Communication and Teaching in Science). In Chemistry, Brian is the coordinator of the Inorganic Lab CH3521. He also demonstrates in CH2501 labs and leads projects in the CH4421 labs and supervises Scientific Writing students (CH4431) and final-year undergraduate projects.

Brian provides lectures in core areas of inorganic chemistry for students beginning their studies directly in level 2000 (CH1202). He also lectures in transition metal chemistry in both 1^st and 2^nd year (CH1402 and CH2501). Brian is a tutor in many modules including CH1402, CH1601, CH2501, CH4461, and CH5461, and acts as an academic monitor for external placement students (CH4441).

Selected publications

• Open access

  Constrained phosphine chalcogenide selenoethers supported by peri-substitution

  Tarcza, A. E., Slawin, A. M. Z., Carpenter-Warren, C. L., Buehl, M., Kilian, P. & Chalmers, B. A., 27 Oct 2023, In: Molecules. 28, 21, 18 p., 7297.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access

  A study of through-space and through-bond J_PP coupling in a rigid nonsymmetrical bis(phosphine) and its metal complexes

  Chalmers, B. A., Nejman, P. L., Llewellyn, A. V., Felaar, A. M., Griffiths, B. L., Portman, E. I., Gordon, E.-J. L., Fan, K. J. H., Woollins, J. D., Buehl, M., Malkina, O. L., Cordes, D. B., Slawin, A. M. Z. & Kilian, P., 19 Mar 2018, In: Inorganic Chemistry. 57, 6, p. 3387-3398 12 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access

  Dealkanative main group couplings across the peri-gap

  Taylor, L. J., Buehl, M., Chalmers, B. A., Ray, M. J., Wawrzyniak, P., Walton, J. C., Cordes, D. B., Slawin, A. M. Z., Woollins, J. D. & Kilian, P., 27 Dec 2017, In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. 139, 51, p. 18545-18551

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Hantzsch Synthesis of 3,5-Diethoxycarbonyl-2,6-dimethylpyridine

  Smellie, I. A., Botting, N. P., Chalmers, B. A., Schofield, C. M. & Patterson, I., 14 Dec 2016, Comprehensive Organic Chemistry Experiments for the Laboratory Classroom. Afonso, C. A. M., Candeias, N. R., Simão, D. P., Trinidade, A. F., Coelho, J. A. S., Tan, B. & Franzén, R. (eds.). Royal Society of Chemistry, p. 741-744 4 p.

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

• Open access

  Phosphine and selenoether peri-substituted acenaphthenes and their transition metal complexes: structural and NMR investigations

  Zhang, L., Christie, F., Tarcza, A., Lancaster, H., Taylor, L., Buehl, M., Malkina, O., Woollins, J. D., Carpenter-Warren, C. L., Cordes, D. B., Slawin, A. M. Z., Chalmers, B. A. & Kilian, P., 18 Sept 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Inorganic Chemistry. Articles ASAP

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Halogenation Reactions of Vanillin

  Smellie, I. A., Chalmers, B. A., Botting, N. P. & Patterson, I., 14 Dec 2016, Comprehensive Organic Chemistry Experiments for the Laboratory Classroom. Afonso, C. A. M., Candeias, N. R., Simão, D. P., Trinidade, A. F., Coelho, J. A. S., Tan, B. & Franzén, R. (eds.). Royal Society of Chemistry, p. 451-453 3 p.

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

• Heterocyclic Target Synthesis - Three-step Syntheses from Benzaldehyde

  Smellie, I. A., Botting, N. P., Chalmers, B. A., Harper, A. D. & Patterson, I., 14 Dec 2016, Comprehensive Organic Chemistry Experiments for the Laboratory Classroom. Afonso, C. A. M., Candeias, N. R., Simão, D. P., Trinidade, A. F., Coelho, J. A. S., Tan, B. & Franzén, R. (eds.). Royal Society of Chemistry, p. 720-724 5 p.

  Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

• Open access

  Geminally substituted tris(acenaphthyl) and bis(acenaphthyl) arsines, stibines and bismuthine: a structural and nuclear magnetic resonance investigation

  Chalmers, B. A., Meigh, C., Nejman, P., Buehl, M., Lebl, T., Woollins, J. D., Slawin, A. M. Z. & Kilian, P., 18 Jul 2016, In: Inorganic Chemistry. 55, 14, p. 7117-7125 9 p.

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access

  Geometrically enforced donor-facilitated dehydrocoupling leading to an isolable arsanylidine-phosphorane

  Chalmers, B. A., Buehl, M., Athukorala Arachchige, K. S., Slawin, A. M. Z. & Kilian, P., Apr 2014, In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. 136, 17, p. 6247-6250

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Open access

  A structural, spectroscopic and computational examination of the dative interaction in constrained phosphine–stibines and phosphine–stiboranes

  Chalmers, B. A., Buehl, M., Athukorala Arachchige, K. S., Slawin, A. M. Z. & Kilian, P., 11 May 2015, In: Chemistry - A European Journal. 21, 20, p. 7520-7531

  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

 

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