Dr Joseph Beames Eur Ing, BSc, PhD, CEng, MICE, MIHT

School of Chemistry
Associate Professor in Physical Chemistry

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0) 121 414 7222
Email: j.beames@bham.ac.uk

Dr Joseph Beames joined the University of Birmingham in 2022 as an Associate Professor in Physical Chemistry. Prior to joining the University, he was a Lecturer at Cardiff University.

The research in the Beames research group seeks to probe important atmospheric, physical and analytical chemistry problems using combined UV-Vis and infrared spectroscopic techniques, transient EPR spectroscopy and high level ab intio quantum chemistry. The ethos of the research group is that concomitant experimental and computational chemistry approaches yield the greatest photophysical insights into molecular systems, and maximizes research impact. The key goals are to sensitively and quantitatively detect trace chemicals and reactive intermediates, in both gas and solution phases. The Beames group aims to develop spectrometers and spectrometric techniques for use in these areas; providing highly sensitive real time detection of many different chemicals.

Qualifications

PhD in Chemistry, University of Bristol, 2010
MSc by Research, University of Bristol, 2006
BSc in Chemistry, University of Bristol, 2005

Biography

After his undergraduate degree, Dr Beames undertook an M.Sc. by Research with Prof. A.J.Orr-Ewing at the University of Bristol with a thesis entitled ‘Detection of atmospheric NO2 by cavity ring-down spectroscopy’ which included the development of a sensitive spectrometer for field deployment. He then obtained his Ph.D. with Dr. Andrew Hudson at the University of Bristol studying the gas phase spectroscopy of isolated porphyrins and their sub-units.

Dr Beames was then appointed as a post-doctoral research fellow in the group of Professor Marsha I. Lester at the University of Pennsylvania, where he subsequently acquired a Dreyfus post-doctoral fellowship in Environmental Chemistry. This fellowship was to study the atmospheric photochemistry and dynamics of Criegee intermediates. In 2015 he was appointed as a University Research Fellow in Spectroscopy and Dynamics at Cardiff University and in 2016 became a MSCA Individual Fellow. In 2019 he was appointed as a Lecturer in Physical Chemistry.

In 2022, Dr Beames joined the University of Birmingham as a Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry.

Postgraduate supervision

To discuss PhD opportunities, please contact Dr Beames: j.beames@bham.ac.uk.

Research

The Beames group interrogate the chemistry of trace, transient atmospheric species using cavity enhanced techniques and computational chemistry models. Recently the group investigated the temperature dependence of several Criegee intermediate-alcohol reactions, in collaboration with the Knowles group. New modelling is being undertaken in collaboration with the Rickard group (York). Please visit The Beames Research Group website for more information.

The Beames group also investigates the photodynamics of novel phosphors and upconverting systems, synthesised by the Pope group at Cardiff University. The group uses a range of optical time resolved spectroscopies and relativistic computational approaches, and applies small-molecule methods to tackle these complex systems. A recent example of research in this area was the modification of molecular symmetry to tune optical properties of Ir(III) complexes. These compounds have been found to be highly efficient light upconverting materials.

To further this research, in collaboration with the Richards group, Dr Beames has helped develop a suite of transient, time resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) instrumentation. This includes combining fixed and tuneable laser and lamp sources with pulsed EPR. This instrumentation enhances our spectroscopic investigations of light upconverting materials.

The Beames group uses electronic spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, DFT and semi-empirical GFN-xTB2 to investigate the tuning and photobleaching of toxic chemical colourimetric detection systems. This is in collaboration with the Fallis group at Cardiff University.

Publications

H.Y. Otaif, S.J. Adams, P.N. Horton, S.J. Coles, J.M. Beames* and S.J.A. Pope* (2021), Bis-cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes with terpyridine analogues: syntheses, structures, spectroscopy and computational studies RSC Advances 63: 6061.

S.A. Fitzgerald, H.Y. Otaif, C.E. Elgar, N. Sawicka, P.N. Horton, S.J. Coles, J.M. Beames, S.J.A. Pope*(2021) A Polysubstituted Ligand Framework For Color Tuning Phosphorescent Iridium(III) Complexes Inorg. Chem. 60: 15467.

C.E. Elgar, H.Y. Otaif, J.Zhao, P.N. Horton, S.J. Coles, J.M. Beames*, and S.J.A. Pope* (2021), Iridium(III) Sensitisers and Energy Upconversion: The Influence of Ligand Structure upon TTA-UC Performance Chem. Eur. J 27: 3427.

T.M. Stonelake, K.A. Phillips, H.Y. Otaif, Z.C. Edwardson, P.N. Horton, S.J. Coles, J.M. Beames*, and S.J.A. Pope* (2020), Spectroscopic and Theoretical Investigation of Color Tuning in Deep-Red Luminescent Iridium(III) Complexes Inorg. Chem. 59(40): 2266.

N.A. I. Watson, J.A. Black, T.M. Stonelake, P.J. Knowles and J.M. Beames* (2018), An Extended Computational Study of Alcohol-Criegee Intermediate Reactions J. Phys. Chem. A 123: 218.

K.A. Phillips, T.M. Stonelake, K.C.Y. Hou, J.Zhao, S.J. Coles, P.N. Horton, S.J. Keane, E.C. Stokes, I.A. Fallis, A.J. Hallett, S.P. O’Kell, J.M. Beames*, S.J.A. Pope* (2018), Ligand-Tuneable, Red-Emitting Iridium(III) Complexes for Efficient Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconversion Performance Chem. Eur. J 24: 8577.

A. Sciutto, T. Battisti, J.M. Beames, D.M. Murphy, D. Bonifazi (2018), Customizing photoredox properties of PXX-based dyes through energy level shifts of frontier molecular orbitals Chem. Eur. J 24: 4382.

M.R. McGillen, B.F.E. Curchod, R. Chhantyal-Pun, J.M. Beames, N. Watson, M.A.H. Khan, L. McMahon, D.E. Shallcross, A.J. Orr-Ewing (2017), Criegee intermediate – alcohol reactions, a potential source of functionalized hydroperoxides in the atmosphere ACS Earth Space Chem. 1: 664.

R. Chhantyal-Pun, M.R. McGillen, J.M. Beames, M. Anwar, H. Khan,C.J. Percival, D.E. Shallcross, A.J. Orr-Ewing (2017), Temperature Dependence of the Rates of Reaction of Criegee Intermediates with Trifluoroacetic Acid Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56: 9044

F. Liu, J.M. Beames, M.I. Lester (2014), Direct production of OH radicals upon CH overtone activation of (CH₃)₂COO Criegee intermediates J. Chem. Phys. 141: 234312

F. Liu, J.M. Beames, A.S. Petit, A.B. McCoy and M.I. Lester (2014), Infrared driven unimolecular reaction of CH3CHOO Criegee intermediates to OH radical products Science 345: 1596

J.M. Beames, F. Liu, L. Lu and M.I. Lester (2012), Ultraviolet spectrum and photochemistry of the simplest Criegee intermediate CH₂OO J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134: 20045

View all publications in research portal