Robin Fulton

Associate Professor Robin Fulton serves as Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Victoria University of Wellington. She holds a BSc/BSc in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Washington and earned her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley under Professor Robert Bergman. Following postdoctoral positions at the University of Colorado (with Professor Diane McKnight) and the University of Bristol (with Professor Varinder Aggarwal), she began her independent career at the University of Sussex before joining Victoria University of Wellington in 2012.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD, University of California, Berkeley, United States
• BSc/BSc, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
• PGCert in Higher Education, University of Sussex

Professor Fulton's research focuses on synthetic inorganic chemistry, particularly the chemistry of unusual binding modes of main group elements, with emphasis on aluminum and group 14 elements (Ge, Sn, Pb). Her work explores aluminyl anions, low-valent main group species, and heterobimetallic complexes. A secondary research theme involves developing new materials for environmental remediation, specifically supporting highly reactive nanoparticles onto silicates for water treatment applications. Her research has resulted in numerous publications in high-impact journals such as Angewandte Chemie, Inorganic Chemistry, and Chemical Communications.

Her recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on aluminyl chemistry and main group element reactivity. A significant portion of her work examines the reactivity of aluminyl anions with group 14 compounds, leading to novel oxidation states and bonding modes. Her research group has made important contributions to understanding low-valent germanium, tin, and lead species, as well as the synthesis and reactivity of heterobimetallic complexes. Many of these studies involve detailed structural characterization combined with computational analysis to elucidate reaction mechanisms.

Professor Fulton has held significant administrative responsibilities as Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Her grant funding includes MacDiarmid Institute funding and a Royal Society of New Zealand grant titled "Activating Substrates for Chemical Synthesis with Reactive Aluminium Reagents."

She currently supervises multiple graduate students working on projects including:

• "Examining Biochar Surface Effects on Inorganic Waterway Contaminants Adsorption and Desorption" (Master's)
• "Computational Design of Ionic Liquids for Gas Capture" (PhD)
• "Synthesis and Reactivity of Low-valent Aluminyl Anion and Group 14-Derived Heterobimetallic Complexes" (PhD)

Professor Fulton is actively involved in the international chemistry community, having served as Organising Chair for the International Conference on the Coordination and Organometallic Chemistry of Germanium, Tin and Lead (ICCOC-GTL17) in 2023. She is also affiliated with the MacDiarmid Institute.