Research

The development of new sustainable approaches that utilize the widely available feedstocks in key chemical transformations is extremely important. We have developed diverse C-C and C-N bond-forming reactions via dehydrogenation/borrowing hydrogenation strategy. These protocols employ bioderived and renewable alcohols as a starting material and eliminate water and/or hydrogen gas as by-products, representing highly atom-efficient, and sustainable reactions. Furthermore, diverse simple to complex organic molecules was achieved from alcohols using a novel chemical bond activation process, metal-ligand cooperation (MLC). In this concept, ligand (pincer) activates the substrate in cooperation with the metal center by undergoing reversible structural changes in the catalytic pathway, facilitates product formation with minimal energy input, and operates under benign conditions.

Our other key objective is in converting homogeneous catalytic systems into heterogeneous versions through the attachment of catalytic sites on stable supports. Our novel approach involves the thermal decomposition of a molecular complex of 3d-transition metals (Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) on carbon support to obtain a supported robust nanocatalyst effectively used for dehydrogenation chemistry. We have developed an unprecedented unique core-shell architecture of 3d-transition-metal nanocatalysts with a shell comprising of oxide and a core mainly of carbide synthesized by thermally pyrolyzing M:N-rich ligand on a graphitic oxide support. The unique microstructure resulted in an exceptional catalytic property in oxidant-free and acceptorless dehydrogenation reactions.