Department of Chemistry

Faculty of Science

Alison Thompson

Professor, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Pyrrole Chemistry for Chemical Biology and Energy

AThomps2

Related information

Department of Chemistry

Email: Alison.Thompson@dal.ca
Mailing Address: 
Department of Chemistry
Dalhousie University
6243 Alumni Crescent
P.O. Box 15000
Halifax NS B3H 4R2
 
Research Topics:
  • Organic chemistry
  • Inorganic chemistry
  • Synthesis
  • Materials
  • Heterocycles
  • Pyrroles
  • Natural products
  • Ligand design
  • Transition metals
  • Main group metals


Education

  • BSc University of Leicester (UK)
  • PhD, University of Sheffield (UK)
  • PDF, Ecole de Chimie à Strasbourg (France) and University of British Columbia

 

Research interests

Our research focuses on the synthesis of pyrroles and polypyrroles to enable evaluation of new compounds with unique biological, physical and optical properties: applications target functional materials and improved pharmaceutical function. We develop/invent synthetic methodology, and characterize our new compounds in various ways to assess success.

Selected awards and honours

  • Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Pyrrole Chemistry for Chemical Biology and Energy, 2020-2027
  • Montréal Medal, Chemical Institute of Canada, 2021
  • Clara Benson Award, Canadian Society for Chemistry, 2020
  • Anne Marie MacKinnon Educational Leadership Award, 2019
  • Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), 2018
  • Dalhousie Alumni Association Faculty Award of Excellence for Teaching, 2018
  • Dalhousie Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision, 2018
  • Chemistry Professor of the Year Award, 2015

Selected publications

  • Reactivity of an Aza-dipyrrin and an Aza-BODIPY Motif Bearing two 2-Pyridyl Units: an Emissive NNN Binding Pocket. Gapare, R.L.; Diaz-Rodriguez, R.M.; Williams, V.A.; Atwood, M.; Cotnam, M.J.; Hilborn, J.W.; Johnson, E.R.; Robertson, K.N.; Thompson, A.; Org. Biomol. Chem. 2025, 23, 10391-10397.
  • Third-order Nonlinear Optical Properties of a Series of Pyrroles and Dipyrroles Featuring π-Conjugated Substituents and Linkers. Bennett, E.; Alkaş, A.; Diaz-Rodriguez, R.M.; Campbell, J.W.; Ferguson, L.A.; Cotnam, M.J.; Cisek, R.; Thompson, A.; Tokarz, D. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2025, 27, 21956-21969.
  • Synthesis and Properties of Tetra-aryl Azobispyrroles. Sequeira, S.O.; Diaz-Rodriguez, R.M.; Atansi, M.; Hilborn, J.W.; Alkaş, A.; Gapare, R.L.; Dearden, M.; Sullivan, E.C.; Brown, E.B.; Robertson, K.N.; Thompson, A. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2025, 23,  7752-7758.
  • Introducing the Substituted Azobispyrrole Framework: Synthesis and Properties. Alkaş, A.; Diaz-Rodriguez, R.M.; Sequeira, S.O.; Hilborn, J.W.; Atansi, M.; Sullivan, E.C.; Brown, E.B.; Gapare, R.L.; Mutus, B.; Robertson, K.N.; Thompson, A. Chem. Commun. 2025, 61, 11649-11652.
  • Synthesis and Evaluation of Telluorophene- BODIPY Photosensitizers Appended to Estradiol. Campbell, J.W.; Tung, M.T.; Taylor, B.B.; Beharry, A.A.; Thompson, A. Can. J. Chem. 2025, 0053.
  • Synthesis of Chiral Systems Featuring the Pyrrole Unit: a Review. Campbell, J.W.; Cotnam, M.J.; Annan, F.R.; Hilborn, J.W.; Thompson, A. Chem. Commun. 2024, 60, 11385-11414.
  • BODIPYs α-Appended with Distyryl-linked Aryl Bisboronic Acids: Single-step Cell Staining and Turn-on Fluorescence Binding with D-Glucose. Alkaş, A.; Kofsky, J.M.; Sullivan, E.C.; Nebel, D; Robertson, K.N.; Capicciotti, C.J.; Jakeman, D.L.; Johnson, E.R.; Thompson, A. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2024, 22, 7448-7459.
  • A Mild Synthetic Route to α-Nitroso Diaryl Pyrroles. Brown, E.B.; Gapare, R.L.; Campbell, J.W.; Alkaş, A.; Sequeira, S.; Hilborn, J.W.; Greening, S.M.; Robertson, K.N.; Thompson, A. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2024, 22, 6122-6128.
  • A Series of Potent BODIPY Photosensitisers Featuring Tellurophene Motifs at Boron. Campbell, J.W.; Tung, M.T.; Taylor, B.B.; Beharry, A.A.; Thompson, A. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2024, 22, 4157-4162.