Catalysis is the central theme that ties together all of our research projects. Ultimately, it is our goal to improve sustainability in industrial organic synthesis by addressing shortcomings in homogeneous catalyst systems while adopting earth-abundant metal alternatives.

Identifying areas of improvement in a chemical reaction often requires a detailed understanding of how the reaction proceeds. Thus, our group is interested in investigating the structure and mechanism of the catalysts that we employ using a variety of techniques.

Heterogeneous catalysts offer several practical advantages over homogeneous catalysts. We are particularly interested in the synthesis of new Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and their applications as heterogeneous catalysts for organic reactions. The tuneability and high internal surface area of these insoluble materials make them well suited for catalysis.