Prof. David C Magri

Prof. David C Magri

Prof. David C Magri

  B.Sc.(Hons),Ph.D.(Western),M.R.S.C.

Professor

Room 113
Department Of Chemistry
Faculty Of Science
University of Malta
Msida
  +356 2340 2276
David C. Magri graduated from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada B.Sc. (4-year Honours Chemistry) and Ph.D.(Physical Organic Chemistry). He spent two years at Queens University of Belfast in Northern Ireland as a post-doctoral Research Fellow. Working with Prof. AP de Silva, he demonstrated the first molecular three-input AND logic gate as a 'lab-on-a-molecule' prototype. He returned to Canada as an Assistant Professor at the University of Prince Edward Island (2006-2007), and subsequently held positions at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (2007-2008) and Acadia University (2008-2010). David joined the University of Malta in September 2010 as Senior Lecturer in Analytical Chemistry.

He is a leading expert in the field of luminescent sensing and molecular logic gates with the Most Cited Paper in Tetrahedron 2005-2008. He was the recipient of the 2014 Malta Innovation Awards for Science Innovation (first place) and the 2015 WIPO Medal for Inventors. He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications including 3 book chapters. His research team has invented the concept of 'Pourbaix sensors', fluorescent molecular logic gates for measuring pE-pH. This research was highlighted on the front cover of the 2016 December issue of New Journal of Chemistry. He is the coordinator of Science in the House, the annual science policy forum between Researchers and Parliamentarians hosted in the Parliament Building in Valletta and a Senior Editor of the multidisciplinary science journal, Xjenza Online.

Many students who have studied under his supervision have continued their studies abroad at prestigious universities including the University of York, The University of Edinburgh, Durham University, University of Bristol, Imperial College London and Universita di Padova. Students interested in postgraduate studies (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) under his supervision are most welcome to contact Dr Magri by email or in person.
  • Luminescent Molecular Logic Gates and Sensors
  • Molecular Information Processing
  • Fluorescence Spectroscopy
  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry

MAGRI, D.C., 2021. Logical Sensing with Fluorescent Molecular Logic Gates based on Photoinduced Electron Transfer. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 426, pp. 213598, 1-3.

MAGRI, D.C., 2021. Recent Advances in Fluorescence Sensing. In: A. ALBINI and S. PROTTI, eds, Specialist Periodical Reports Photochemistry.

SCERRI, G.J., SPITERI, J.C. and MAGRI, D.C., 2021. Pourbaix Sensors in Polyurethane Molecular Logic-Based Coatings for Early Detection of Corrosion. Materials Advances., 2, pp. 434-439.

ZERAFA, N., CINI, M. and MAGRI, D.C., 2021. Molecular Engineering of 1,3,5-Triaryl-2-Pyrazoline Logic Systems Responsive to Acidity and Oxidisability and Attachment to Polymer Beads. Molecular Systems Engineering & Design, 6, pp. 93-99.

DIACONO, A., AQUILINA, M.C., CALLEJA, A., AGIUS, G., GAUCI, G., SZACIŁOWSKI, K. and MAGRI, D.C., 2020. Enhanced Ion Binding by the Benzocrown Ether Receptor and Carbonyl of the Aminonaphthalimide Fluorophore in Water-Soluble Logic Gates. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 18, pp. 4773-4782.

GALEA, C., MAKUC, D., SZACIŁOWSKI, K., PLAVEC, J. and MAGRI, D.C., 2020. Synthesis and Spectroscopic Studies of Diaza-8-Crown-4-Dinitrophenyl Ethers. Supramolecular Chemistry, 32, pp. 13-22.

MAGRI, D.C. and SPITERI, J.C., 2020. Sensor molecule, A method of measuring acidity and redox potential. UK: .

JOHNSON, A.D., ZAMMIT, R., VELLA, J., VALENTINO, M., BUHAGIAR, A.J. and MAGRI, D.C., 2019. Aminonaphthalimide Hybrids of Mitoxantrone and Amonafide as Anticancer and Fluorescent Cellular Imaging Agents. Bioorganic Chemistry, 93, pp. 103287-103295.

SCERRI, G.J., SPITERI, J.C., MALLIA, C.J. and MAGRI, D.C., 2019. A Lab-on-a-Molecule with an Enhanced Fluorescent Readout on Detection of Three Chemical Species. Chemical Communications, 55, pp. 4961-4964.

VELLA REFALO, M., FARRUGIA, N.V., JOHNSON, A.D., KLEJNA, S., SZACIŁOWSKI, K. and MAGRI, D.C., 2019. Fluorimetric Naphthalimide-based Logic Gate Tagged Polymer Beads Responsive to Acidity and Oxidisability. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 7, pp. 15225-15232.

MAGRI, D.C., 2018. Recent Progress on the Evolution of Pourbaix Sensors: Molecular Logic Gates for Protons and Oxidants. Chemosensors, 48, pp. 1-9.

SPITERI, J.C., DENISOV, S.A., JONUSAUSKAS, G., KLEJNA, S., SZACIŁOWSKI, K., MCCLENAGHAN, N.D. and MAGRI, D.C., 2018. Molecular Engineering of Logic Gate Types by Module Rearrangement in ‘Pourbaix Sensors’: the Effect of Excited-State Electric Fields. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 16, pp. 6159-6201.

SPITERI, J.C., JOHNSON, A.D., DENISOV, S.A., JONUSAUSKAS, G., MCCLENAGHAN, N.D. and MAGRI, D.C., 2018. A Fluorescent AND Logic Gate based on a Ferrocene-Naphthalimide-Piperazine Format Responsive to Acidity and Oxidizability. Dyes & Pigments, 157, pp. 278-283.

VELLA REFALO, M., SPITERI, J.C. and MAGRI, D.C., 2018. Covalent attachment of a fluorescent ‘Pourbaix sensor’ onto a polymer bead for sensing in water. New Journal of Chemistry, 42, pp. 16474-16477.

CARDONA, M.A., MAKUC, D., SZACILOWSKI, K., PLAVEC, J. and MAGRI, D.C., 2017. Water-Soluble Colorimetric Amino[bis(ethanesulfonate)] Azobenzene pH Indicators: A UV-visible Absorption, DFT and 1H-15N NMR Spectroscopy Study. ACS Omega, 2, pp. 6159−6166.

MAGRI, D.C., 2017. ‘Pourbaix Sensors’: Fluorescent Molecular Logic Gates for pE and pH. Supramolecular Chemistry, 29, pp. 741-748.

MAGRI, D.C., JOHNSON, A. and SPITERI, J.C., 2017. Fluorescent Photoinduced Electron Transfer (PET) Logic Gates for Acidity (pH) and Redox Potential (pE). Journal of Fluorescence, 27, pp. 551-559.

MAGRI, D.C. and SPITERI, J.C., 2017. Proof of Principle of a Three-input AND–INHIBIT–OR Combinatorial Logic Gate Array. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 15, pp. 6706-6709.

SCERRI, G.J., CINI, M., SCHEMBRI, J.S., DA COSTA, P.F., JOHNSON, A.D. and MAGRI, D.C., 2017. Redox-Enabled, pH-Disabled Pyrazoline–Ferrocene INHIBIT Logic Gates. ChemPhysChem, 18, pp. 1742-1745.

SPITERI, J.M.A., MALLIA, C.J., SCERRI, G.J. and MAGRI, D.C., 2017. A Fluorescent Combinatorial Logic Gate with Na+,H+-Enabled OR and H+-Driven Low-Medium-High Ternary Logic Functions. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 15, pp. 10116-10121.

CARDONA, M.A., KVEDER, M., BAISCH, U., PROBERT, M.R. and MAGRI, D.C., 2016. Water Soluble B-Aminobisulfonate Building Blocks for pH and Cu2+ Indicators. RSC Advances, 6, pp. 84712-84721.

CARDONA, M.A., MALLIA, C.J., BAISCH, U. and MAGRI, D.C., 2016. Water-Soluble Amino(ethanesulfonate) and [(bis(ethanesulfonate)] Anthracenes as Fluorescent Photoinduced Electron Transfer (PET) pH Indicators and Fe3+ Chemosensors. RSC Advances, 6, pp. 3783-3791.

FARRUGIA, K.N., MAKUC, D., PODBORSKA, A., SZACILOWSKI, K., PLAVEC, J. and MAGRI, D.C., 2016. Colorimetric Naphthalene-based Thiosemicarbazide Anion Chemosensors with an Internal Charge (ICT) Mechanism. European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 25, pp. 4415-4422.

JOHNSON, A.D., PATERSON, K.A., SPITERI, J.C., DENISOV, S.A., JONUSAUSKAS, G., TRON, A., MCCLENAGHAN, N.D. and MAGRI, D.C., 2016. Water-soluble naphthalimide-based ‘Pourbaix Sensors’: pH and redox-activated fluorescent AND logic gates based on photoinduced electron transfer. New Journal of Chemistry, 40, pp. 9917-9922.

MAGRI, D.C., DA COSTA, P.F. and PATERSON, K.A., 2016. Supramolecular Chemistry in Water: Self-Assembly of Multi-Component Fluorescent Molecular Logic Gates in Micelles. Xjenza Online, 4, pp. 64-71.

CARUANA, M.V., CAMILLERI FAVA, M. and MAGRI, D.C., 2015. A Colorimetric and Fluorimetric Three-Input Inverted Enable OR Logic System by Self-Assembly of a Rhodamine Probe in Micelles. Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry, 4, pp. 239-243.

FARRUGIA, K.N., MAKUC, D., PODBORSKA, A., SZACILOWSKI, K., PLAVEC, J. and MAGRI, D.C., 2015. UV-visible and 1H–15N NMR Spectroscopic Studies of Colorimetric Thiosemicarbazide Anion Sensors. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 13, pp. 1662-1672.

MAGRI, D.C., 2015. Photoinduced Electron Transfer as a Design Concept for Luminescent Redox Indicators. Analyst, 140, pp. 7487-7495.

SPITERI, J.C., SCHEMBRI, J.S. and MAGRI, D.C., 2015. A naphthalimide-based ‘Pourbaix sensor’: A redox and pH driven AND logic gate with photoinduced electron transfer and internal charge transfer mechanisms. New Journal of Chemistry, 39, pp. 3349-3352.

ZAMMIT, R., PAPPOVA, M., ZAMMIT, E., GABARRETTA, J. and MAGRI, D.C., 2015. 1,3,5-Triarylpyrazolines - pH-driven off-on-off molecular logic devices based on a "receptor(1)-fluorophore-spacer-receptor(2)" format with internal charge transfer (ICT) and photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanisms. Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 93(2), pp. 199-206.

CARDONA, M.A. and MAGRI, D.C., 2014. Synthesis and spectrophotometric studies of water-soluble amino[bis(ethanesulfonate)] azobenzene pH indicators. Tetrahedron letters, 55(33), pp. 4559-4563.

MAGRI, D.C., CAMILLERI FAVA, M. and MALLIA, C.J., 2014. A sodium-enabled 'Pourbaix sensor': a three-input AND logic gate as a 'lab-on-a-molecule' for monitoring Na+, pH and pE. Chemical Communications, 50(8), pp. 1009-1011.

MAGRI, D.C. and SPITERI, J.C., 2014. A method of measuring acidity and redox potential of a sample, compounds useful in a method of measuring acidity and redox potential of a sample, and the use of such compounds. UK: .

MAGRI, D.C. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2014. Dissociative Electron Transfer to Diphenyl-Substituted Bicyclic Endoperoxides: The Effect of Molecular Structure on the Reactivity of Distonic Radical Anions and Determination of Thermochemical Parameters. Molecules, 19(8), pp. 11999-12010.

ADKINSON, D.K., MAGRI, D.C., PITTERS, J.L., GRIFFITHS, K., NORTON, P.R. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2013. Photolysis and Thermolysis of Pyridyl Carbonyl Azide Monolayers on Single-Crystal Platinum. Photochemistry and Photobiology, 89(5), pp. 1020-1028.

CARDONA, M.A., FARRUGIA, K. and MAGRI, D.C., 2013. Medical Diagnostics with Designed Molecules with Sense and Logic. Xjenza Online, 13, pp. 34-41.

FARRUGIA, T.J. and MAGRI, D.C., 2013. 'Pourbaix sensors': a new class of fluorescent pE-pH molecular AND logic gates based on photoinduced electron transfer. New Journal of Chemistry, 37(1), pp. 148-151.

GAUCI, L.A., KELLAND, L.G. and MAGRI, D.C., 2013. Luminescent 'On-Off' CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dot Chemodosimeter for Hydroxide Based on Photoinduced Electron Transfer from a Carboxylate Moiety. Journal of Fluorescence, 23(4), pp. 793-798.

MAGRI, D.C. and MALLIA, C.J., 2013. Metal Ion Sensing for Biomedical Uses. In: H.J. SCHNEIDER, ed, Monographs in Supramolecular Chemistry. pp. 38-67.

MAGRI, D.C., 2012. Engineering Luminescent Molecules with Sensing and Logic Capabilities. In: E. KATZ, ed, Molecular and Biomolecular Information Processing: From Logic Systems to Sensors and Actuators Weinheim: Wiley-VCH Verlag, pp. 79-98.

MAGRI, D.C. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2012. Redox Properties of Radicals. In: C. CHATGILIALOGLU and A. STUDER, eds, Encyclopedia of Radicals in Chemistry, Biology and Materials Chichester, West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 249-274.

MAGRI, D.C. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2012. Kinetics of the photoinduced dissociative reduction of the model dialkyl peroxides di-tert-butyl peroxide and ascaridole. Mediterranean Journal of Chemistry, 1, pp. 303-315.

MAGRI, D.C. and DE SILVA, A.P., 2010. From PASS 1 to YES to AND logic: building parallel processing into molecular logic gates by sequential addition of receptors. New Journal of Chemistry, 34(3), pp. 476-481.

SAURO, V.A., MAGRI, D.C., PITTERS, J.L. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2010. The electrochemical reduction of 1,4-dichloroazoethanes: Reductive elimination of chloride to form aryl azines. Electrochimica Acta, 55(20), pp. 5584-5591.

STRINGLE, D.L.B., MAGRI, D.C. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2010. Efficient Homogeneous Radical-Anion Chain Reactions Initiated by Dissociative Electron Transfer to 3,3,6,6-Tetraaryl-1,2-dioxanes. Chemistry - A European Journal, 16(1), pp. 178-188.

ANDRE-BARRES, C., NAJJAR, F., BERNAT, V., BALTAS, M., LACAZE-DUFAURE, B., MAGRI, D.C., WORKENTIN, M.S. and TZEDAKIS, T., 2009. Synthesis of antimalarial bicyclic hemiketal endoperoxides belonging to the G-factor family, 2009, pp. 95-98.

MAGRI, D.C., 2009. A fluorescent AND logic gate driven by electrons and protons. New Journal of Chemistry, 33(3), pp. 457-461.

MAGRI, D.C. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2008. A radical-anion chain mechanism initiated by dissociative electron transfer to a bicyclic endoperoxide: Insight into the fragmentation chemistry of neutral biradicals and distonic radical anions. Chemistry - A European Journal, 14(6), pp. 1698-1709.

MAGRI, D.C. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2008. A radical-anion chain mechanism following dissociative electron transfer reduction of the model prostaglandin endoperoxide, 1,4-diphenyl-2,3-dioxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 6(18), pp. 3354-3361.

MAGRI, D.C., VANCE, T.P. and DE SILVA, A.P., 2007. From complexation to computation: Recent progress in molecular logic. Inorganica Chimica Acta, 360(3), pp. 751-764.

NAJJAR, F., ANDRE-BARRES, C., BALTAS, M., LACAZE-DUFAURE, C., MAGRI, D.C., WORKENTIN, M.S. and TZEDAKIS, T., 2007. Electrochemical reduction of G3-factor endoperoxide and its methyl ether: Evidence for a competition between concerted and stepwise dissociative electron transfer. Chemistry - A European Journal, 13(4), pp. 1174-1179.

MAGRI, D.C., BROWN, G.J., MCCLEAN, G.D. and DE SILVA, A.P., 2006. Communicating chemical congregation: A molecular AND logic gate with three chemical inputs as a "lab-on-a-molecule" prototype. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 128(15), pp. 4950-4951.

MAGRI, D.C., COEN, G.D., BOYD, R.L. and DE SILVA, A.P., 2006. Consolidating molecular AND logic with two chemical inputs. Analytica Chimica Acta, 568(1-2), pp. 156-160.

CALLAN, J.F., DE SILVA, A.P. and MAGRI, D.C., 2005. Luminescent sensors and switches in the early 21st century. Tetrahedron, 61(36), pp. 8551-8588.

DE SILVA, A.P. and MAGRI, D.C., 2005. Optical sensing and switching with designed molecules. Chimia, 59(5), pp. 218-221.

MAGRI, D.C., CALLAN, J.F., DE SILVA, A.P., FOX, D.B., MCCLENAGHAN, N.D. and SANDANAYAKE, K. R. A. SAMANKUMARA, 2005. The Anthracen-9-ylmethyloxy unit: an underperforming motif within the fluorescent PET (photoinduced electron transfer) sensing framework. Journal of Fluorescence, 15(5), pp. 769-775.

MAGRI, D.C. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2003. Model Dialkyl Peroxides of the Fenton Mechanistic Probe 2-Methyl-1-Phenyl-2-Propyl Hydroperoxide (MPPH): Kinetic Probes for Dissociative Electron Transfer. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 1, pp. 3418-3429.

MAGRI, D.C. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2002. Model Acyclic Peroxides of the Fenton Probe 2-methyl-1-phenyl-2-propyl Hydroperoxide (MPPH): Kinetic Probes for Dissociative Electron Transfer" in Organic Electrochemistry: Manuel L. Baizer Award Symposium in Honor of Jean-Michel Savéant , 2002, pp. 69-73.

MAGRI, D.C., DONKERS, R.L. and WORKENTIN, M.S., 2001. Kinetics of the photoinduced dissociative electron transfer reduction of the antimalarial endoperoxide, Artemisinin. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 138(1), pp. 29-34.

  • CHE1350 - Principles of Analytical Chemistry
  • CHE2365 - Organic Chemistry 2
  • CHE3091 - Organic Photochemistry
  • CHE3240 - Separation Techniques and Analytical Chemistry
  • CHE3245 - Separation Techniques and Analytical Chemistry
  • SCI3502 - Professional and Technical Skills for Scientists

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