Synthesis of novel ligands for biphasic media. Exploration
of alterative reaction media, specifically those of water and ionic
liquids for catalytic hydroformylation and hydrogenation
reactions. Development of task specific ionic liquids.
Developing new methodologies for undergraduate science
education.
Synthesis of novel porphyrin arrays for light harvesting
complexes. Development of novel metal binding sites on
porphyrin peripheries to from the porphyrin arrays.
Investigation of unusual electronic properties of the arrays.
Research
My research is focused on synthesizing and characterizing porphyrin
arrays by joining the porphyrin molecules through a variety of
linkers. These compounds are useful as light harvesting
complexes which mimic the first processes in photosynthesis.
These processes in green plants utilize porphyrins to collect light
and funnel the energy to a reaction center. I am currently
focusing on two sets of porphyrin arrays, the first is the
phosphine-porphyrins and the second is
imidazole-porphyrins.
The goal of the proposed research is to design, synthesize and
study porphyrin arrays as light harvesting compounds. By
incorporating phosphines or N-heterocyclic carbenes on the
porphyrin periphery allows us to utilize these groups to act as
linkers between various porphyrin macrocycles. By utilizing
them in this manner, allows us to develop large-scale molecular
systems by binding them through a metal centers, such as osmium,
ruthenium, palladium and rhodium. The electronics of these
arrays may be easily modulated by adding electron withdrawing or
electron donating substituents to the porphyrin periphery or by
changing the metal atoms inside the porphyrins. The
photophysics is studied to determine any electronic interactions
between the porphyrins as we believe these compounds have great
potential as light-harvesting compounds for converting light into
electrical energy.