Metal Complex Catalyzed Oxidations of Organic Compounds:
Oxidation reactions are some of the most useful chemical transformations. The finding of efficient catalysts for the selective insertion of one oxygen atom from oxygen donors into various organic molecules, under mild conditions, remains a difficult challenge in the fields of chemical and biological catalysis.
Synthesis of Inorganic Complexes:
The synthesis of transition metal complexes with new ligand systems may lead to novel structures, whose chemical properties and catalytic activity will be studied.
Bioinorganic Chemistry:
Bioinorganic chemistry includes the study of both natural phenomena such as the behavior of metalloproteins. Many biological processes such as respiration depend upon molecules that fall within the realm of inorganic chemistry. The discipline also includes the study of inorganic models or mimics that imitate the behaviour of metalloproteins.
Biomimetic Catalytic Systems:
In cells of bacteria, algae, and animals as well as human organism, the substrates are oxidized by air oxygen in quantitative yield and with high rates due to the catalysis by enzymes. Therefore one of the most promising routes for the development of catalysts for oxidation is the biomimetic approach, development of chemical analogs of natural enzymes.
The exciting prospect of nanotechnology is its potential use in almost any conceivable domain. While nano-scale technology is multifaceted in its application, the use of nanocrystals as catalysts is perhaps the most intriguing.
Experimental and theoretical mechanistic studies of the catalytic reactions :
By mechanistic studies of the catalytic reactions we can gain information in order to understand or verify predictions of the function of the catalyst. Thereby it is possible to refine the catalyst design or get ideas that can be brought over to other systems or catalysis of other reactions.
MOFs for catalysis
Metal organic frameworks have large potential in numerous catalyst applications. The high surface area, tunable porosity, diversity in metal and functional groups of MOFs makes them especially suited for use as catalysts.