Research Interests

I am actively engaged in the preparation and characterization of quinoxalines derivatives and their potential applications in biological system. I have also carried out extensive research work on C-H activation. I have developed standard methods for the synthesis of fluorescent pyrido[1,2-a]quinoxalines derivative from inexpensive starting materials.

Chemistry of quinoxaline compounds

The chemistry of quinoxaline (which are known as “benzopyrazine”) and its derivatives attracts continuous attention because of their wide applicability in various areas. Quinoxalines are an important class of heterocyclic compounds which are used as dyes, pharmaceuticals and the moiety is present in number of antibiotics.

Biological applications of quinoxalines

The quinoxaline moiety is widely distributed in nature. Also quinoxaline ring is part of a number of synthetic antibiotics such as echinomycin, leromycin, and actinomycin, which are known to inhibit the growth of gram-positive bacteria and are also active against various transplantable tumours. The well known antibiotics echinomycin and triostins consist of two quinoxaline-2- carboxylic acid moieties attached to a cyclic octadepsipeptide containing a sulfur cross-linkage. Besides, quinoxaline structure is recognized in a great number of naturally occurring compounds such as riboflavin (vitamin B₂), flavoenzymes, molybdopterines and antibiotics of streptomyces type that are implicated in considerable intra and interelectron transfer biochemical processes. The quinoxaline derivatives show antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, antifungal, antihelmintic, insecticidal activity .

Optoelectronic applications of quinoxalines

Fluorescent heterocyclic compounds are of interest as functional materials in the emitters of electroluminescence devices. In particular, fluorescent dye materials whose fluorescence emission occurs at a longer wavelength in the red light region are expected to play a leading role in full colour electroluminescence displays. Quinoxaline is known to emit both the (n, π*) fluorescence and the (π, π*) phosphorescence in the vapor phase, for which the relative fluorescence and phosphorescence quantum yields depend on the pressure as well as on the excitation energy. A large number of quinoxaline derivatives find application as dyes and as electroluminescent materials.