Our research interests can be separated into two main fields.
One area that we explore is the efficient and selective formation of carbon-carbon bonds through olefin metathesis. Traditional olefin metathesis catalysts developed by the Schrock and Grubbs groups utilize group VI metals (tungsten and molybdenum) and ruthenium, respectively. Our group focuses on developing olefin metathesis catalysts that exhibit the best characteristics of both of these systems; high activity and selectivity, as well as functional group tolerance, while also utilizing sustainable earth-abundant metals.
Another area that we investigate is the catalytic activation of small molecules, which is crucial for the future of sustainable energy. The reactivity of two of the most abundant gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, oxygen and nitrogen, are of particular interest. The reduction of oxygen and the oxidation of ammonia have potential applications in fuel cells, whereas the oxidation of water and the reduction of nitrogen are important for energy storage. These transformations, however, are exceedingly difficult. Fortunately, we can take inspiration from nature, where naturally occurring enzymes are capable of catalyzing these reactions using base metals. As such, we adapt key concepts from biological systems in order to develop sustainable artificial catalysts that exploit economical and abundant metals.
His Ph.D. research focused on a variety of projects including the development of iron-based hydrogenation catalysts and the chemistry of ruthenium complexes with highly strained phosphine ligands.
Our research focuses mainly on synthetic inorganic and organometallic chemistry. More specifically, we are interested in using sustainable resources to develop novel catalytic systems for renewable energy applications and industrially relevant chemical transformations.
Research:
- Novel Olefin Metathesis Catalysts
- Catalyst Development for Renewable Energy Applications
Research Specialities:
- Functional Materials, Catalysis, and Nanochemistry
- Energy, Environment, Agriculture, and Sustainability
- Theory, Computation, and Advance Analytics
- Design and Synthesis of Molecules and Supramolecular Architectures
Research: Chemistry – Develops more efficient and selective catalytic tools using metals that are both less toxic and more sustainable than the leading alternatives in order to synthesize anti-cancer pharmaceutical agents
