He is noted for his investigation of highly strained and fused aromatic compounds, and was also active as an historian of chemistry.
[2] After winning a state scholarship, Halton studied chemistry at the University of Southampton, graduating BSc(Hons) in 1963.
[3] After two years of post-doctoral research with Merle Battiste at the University of Florida, where he worked on small ring chemistry, Halton was appointed as a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at Victoria University of Wellington in 1968, eventually rising to become a full professor.
[2] in 1987, Halton was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Science by Victoria University of Wellington, on the basis of his submission of 57 papers, collectively titled Studies of some strained organic molecules, published between 1971 and 1987.
[2] He represented New Zealand on the organising committee of Pacifichem, the international chemical congress of Pacific basin societies, for 18 years.