Research

During my doctoral work, I have synthesized various alkylamino phosphonium salts of formula [P(NHR)4]+ and studied their supramolecular chemistry in presence of various counter anions such as halides, carboxylates and polyoxometallates. Subsequently, synthesized several pyridyl functionalized P(V) scaffolds such as phosphonium salts, phosphine imines and phosphine oxides and studied their coordination chemistry in presence various metal salts. I have developed a mild synthetic route for obtaining imido P(V) species which are isoelectronic analogues to common phosphorus oxo-anions such as H3PO4, H2PO4−, HPO42− and PO43− ions. Additionally by carefully choosing the attachment of amino groups to phosphorus with respect to pyridyl nitrogens, I was able to generate structures that specifically acquire cage, cluster and framework architectures. Interestingly, employing Pd(II) salts in reaction with alkyl derivatives of the phosphine oxides such as [PO(NHR)3], I generated the most basic imido(phosphate) trianions [PO(NHR)3] as its tri- and hexanuclear metal complexes in protic and polar solvents. Utilizing these imido-Pd motifs, I later developed an unique route to access neutral cage molecules of Pd(II) ions in tetrahedral, cubic and barrel shaped motifs and studied their host-guest chemistry.

My research work at NDHU, Taiwan was based on the synthesis of high nuclearity Cu(I) and Ag(I) nanoclusters such as Cu96 wheel (Cartoon picture) and Ag85 nanoclusters, stabilized by various alkyl substituted monothiocarbonate ligands. I characterized the resultant clusters, in particular, performing single-crystal X-ray studies to determine the structure of the product. Photophysical studies on the solid, as well as solution states at variable temperature, were carried out to establish the relationship between structure and photophysical properties of these clusters. Their host/guest chemistry, and how guest binding affects the photoluminescence properties of these clusters, is currently under investigation. My research work at Uppsala University is based on self assembly of metal alkynyl into various architecture such as clusters, cages and other networks and their functional properties.