Dr Fabrizio Ortu

Fabrizio Ortu, PhD MRSC
Office 2.19, School of Chemistry
University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, Leicester, UK

E: fabrizio.ortu@leicester.ac.uk
T: +44(0)116 294 4670
@FabOrtu
ReseachID: R-9799-2019
ORCID: 0000-0002-1743-8338

Google Scholar
Staff page

Fabrizio ‘Fabs’ Ortu hails from Sassari (Sardinia, IT). Fabs studied Chemistry at the University of Sassari, where he obtained his Laurea Magistrale (MRes equivalent) in 2009. He moved to Nottingham in 2010 for his PhD studies, where he worked under the supervision of Prof. Deborah Kays on s-block coordination chemistry. After completing his PhD course, he moved to Manchester in 2014 to work under the supervision of Prof. David Mills (and many other PIs!), covering a wide range of topics in lanthanide and actinide chemistry. In June 2019, Fabs joined the School of Chemistry at the University of Leicester to start his independent career and work as a Lecturer.

Fabs still pretends to be interested in keeping fit, although his glory days as a basketball player are now merely a blurred memory. Fabs still enjoys reading and collecting comics, listening to obscure ’70s music and watching The Blues Brothers every Christmas.

Career History

  • 2019-present: Lecturer in Chemistry; University of Leicester.
  • 2014-2019: Research Associate; The University of Manchester (Prof. David Mills, Prof. Steve Liddle, Prof. Richard Winpenny, Dr Louise Natrajan).
  • 2010-2014: PhD in Inorganic Chemistry; University of Nottingham (Prof. Deborah Kays).
  • 2007-2009: Laurea Magistrale in Chimica (MRes equivalent); Università degli Studi di Sassari.
  • 2003-2007: Laurea Triennale in Chimica (BSc equivalent, with year abroad); Università degli Studi di Sassari.

Grants

  • EPSRC New Investigator Award (£363,878; 10/2021-09/2024).
  • Royal Society of Chemistry Research Enablement Grant (£10k; 09/2021-08/2022).
  • Royal Society Research Grant (£20k; 03/2021-02/2022).
  • EPSRC Core Equipment Award (£473,286; 11/2020-05/2022).

Awards and Recognition

  • 2022 Best Tutor, ChemSoc Chemistry Staff Awards (also nominated for Best Lecturer, Best Supervisor and Best Implementer of Feedback).
  • 2021 Dalton Division Horizon Prize (Molecular Magnetism Group).
  • Magnetochemistry Travel Award 2018 (ICCC2018, Sendai).
  • Manchester & District RSC Local Section Bursary (ICOMC2016, Melbourne).
  • Dalton Division Travel Grant (ICOMC2016, Melbourne).
  • RSC Dalton Division UK/Canada Ambassador Bursary (CSC 2015, Ottawa).
  • RSC Small Grant for Scientific Activities (2014/15).

Memberships of Scientific Societies

  • RSC East Midlands Local Section – University of Leicester representative.
  • Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
  • Member of the American Chemical Society.
  • Member of the British Crystallography Association.

Talks

  • Adventures in s-block and rare earth chemistry: ligand design, catalysis and low-oxidation state chemistry (invited talk), Queen Mary University of London – 7/12/22
  • Adventures in Group 2 chemistry: ligand design, catalysis and low-oxidation state chemistry (invited talk), University of Manchester – 17/11/22
  • Adventures in Group 2 chemistry: ligand design, catalysis and low-oxidation state chemistry, MICRA2022, University of Durham (UK) – 12-14/9/22
  • Adventures in Group 2 chemistry: ligand design, catalysis and low-oxidation state chemistry, Inorganic Early Career Seminar (invited talk), University of York (UK) – 19/1/22
  • Lanthanide and Alkaline Earth Chemistry: From Magnetism to Sustainable Synthesis, Headstart to Research, University of Leicester (UK) – 16/8/21
  • Lanthanide and Alkaline Earth Chemistry: From Magnetism to Sustainable Synthesis, CSE Research Bites (invited talk), University of Leicester (UK) – 3/6/20
  • High Performing Dysprosium(III) Single-Molecule Magnets: Design, Synthesis and Properties, 43rd International Conference of Coordination Chemistry, Sendai (Japan) – 30/7/18-4/8/18
  • Thorium redox chemistry and a new way to measure covalency by pulsed EPR spectroscopy, RSC Coodination and Organometallic Chemistry Discussion Group Meeting, Lancaster University (UK) – 14-15/9/17
  • Synthesis and physicochemical properties of uranyl(V) complexes with bulky silylamide ligands, MICRA2016, University of Bath (UK) – 5-7/9/16
  • Synthesis and physicochemical properties of uranyl(V) complexes with bulky silylamide ligands, 27th International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry, Melbourne (Australia) – 18/7/16
  • Synthetic, Physical and Theoretical Investigation of Lanthanide-Radical Complexes, Dalton 2016, University of Warwick (UK) – 29-31/3/16
  • Using Cyclopentadienyl Ligands in f-Element Chemistry: Old Ligands, New Chemical Space, 98th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, Ottawa (Canada) – 13-17/6/15
  • From Low to High Oxidation States of the f-elements, XXVI Terrae Rarae, Cologne (Germany) – 6-8/7/14
  • Stabilisation of Group II Complexes with Bulky N-donor ligands, Dalton 2012, University of Warwick (UK) – 3-5/4/12
%d bloggers like this: