Senior Research Scholar
01
Taming Reactive Main-Group Elements
We delve into the exciting world of harnessing the power of highly reactive group 13 (Aluminum, Gallium) and group 14 (Germanium, Tin) elements. These elements, while fascinating for their potential applications, often pose a challenge due to their inherent reactivity. Here, we explore innovative strategies for "taming" their reactivity, unlocking their potential for the creation of novel and functional complexes.
Our secret weapon? Specially designed ligands! We utilize a range of powerful ligands, including aminotroponiminate, dipyrrinates, and aza-dipyrrinates, to effectively stabilize these reactive elements. These ligands act like molecular scaffolds, cradling the reactive elements and controlling their interactions with surrounding molecules. This tailored stabilization paves the way for the synthesis of previously elusive complexes, opening doors to exciting new discoveries in material science, catalysis, and beyond.

02
Air and Water Stable Chemistry

We also focus on the stabilization of germylenes, highly reactive germanium analogs of carbenes. Traditionally, germylenes have been notoriously air- and moisture-sensitive, hindering their exploration and potential applications. However, our work achieves a significant breakthrough: the synthesis of air- and water-stable germylene complexes using dipyrrinate ligands.
This key advancement represents a major leap forward in organogermanium chemistry. Through the strategic design of dipyrrinate ligands, we successfully shield the reactive germylene center, enabling its manipulation and characterization under ambient conditions. This newfound stability opens exciting avenues for in-depth investigation of germylene reactivity and paves the way for their exploration in various fields, particularly:
-
Biological Applications: The unique reactivity of germylenes holds promise for the development of novel therapeutic agents. Their ability to form and cleave specific bonds offers advantages in targeted drug delivery, potentially leading to the design of more precise and effective treatments.
03
Homogenous Catalysis
We also focus on the application of the low-valent group 14 compounds (Ge and Sn) synthesized by our group as homogenous catalysts. We have used various compounds for various organic transformations like cyanosilylation and hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones.