Organic chemistry with particular phasis on novel, highly strained and unusually reactive synthetic molecules, and reaction mechanism.
The influence of strained rings upon the properties of the hydrocarbon assblies into which they may be fused dominates our research work. Notable among the compound types studied are the aromatic cycloproparenes, e.g. 1. A wide range of derivatives is now available and it is significant that such unusual molecules can be used effectively as synthons for important natural and synthetic products some of which have potential as new organic materials.
Prof Halton has served on the editorial boards for the Journal of the Chical Society Perkin Transactions 1 and Perkin Transactions 2, and the Australian Journal of Chemistry. Currently he is a board mber for ARKIVOC the electronic journal for organic chemistry
