The foremost objective of our research is to develop main group catalysts for organic transformations such as C–H, Si–H and H–H bond activation and hydroamination reactions etc. and to develop new efficient synthetic routes to highly functionalized organoborane derivatives via transition metal catalyzed boron-element additions to unsaturated organic compounds. Our group is also interested in synthesis and applications of main group polymers and Al/transition metal based Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLP’s). Furthermore, we will be exploring the synthesis of multiply bonded main group compounds and its reactivity. The research based on main group chemistry involves extensive chemical synthesis and structural characterization using spectroscopic, crystallographic methods.

Representative Publications

• Efficient Hydroboration of Carbonyls by Iron(II) Amide Catalyst
  Baishya, A.; Baruah, S.; Geetharani, K.
  Dalton Trans. 2018 (accepted; in press)
   
  DOI: 10.1039/C8DT01998C
• Efficient Synthesis of Aryl Boronates via Cobalt-Catalyzed Borylation of Aryl Chlorides and Bromides
  Verma, P. K.; Mandal, S.; Geetharani, K.
  ACS Catal. 2018, 8, 4049-4054.
   
  DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.8b00536
• A nano-catalytic approach for C–B bond formation reactions
  Verma, P. K.; Shegavi, M. L.; Bose, S. K.; Geetharani, K.
  Org. Biomol. Chem., 2018, 16, 857–873
   
  DOI: 10.1039/c7ob02958f
• The reactivities of iminoboranes with carbenes: BN isosteres of carbene–alkyne adducts
  Braunschweig, H.; Ewing, W. C.; Geetharani, K.; Schaefer, M
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015,   54, 1662. (Selected as Cover Page)
   
  DOI: 10.1002/anie.201409699
• Direct synthetic route to functionalized 1,2-azaborinines
  Braunschweig, H.; Geetharani, K.; Jimenez-Halla, J. O. C.; Schaefer, M
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014,   53, 3500
   
  DOI: 10.1002/anie.201309707
• Utilization of the arachno–diruthenaborane [(Cp*RuCO)₂B₂H₆] as an active alkyne cyclotrimerization catalyst
  Geetharani, K.; Tussupbayev, S.; Borowka, J.; Holthausen, M. C.; Ghosh, S
  Chem. Eur. J. 2012,   18, 8482
   
  DOI: 10.1002/chem.201200291
• A family of heterometallic cubane-type clusters with an exo-Fe(CO)₃ fragment anchored to the cubane
  Geetharani, K.; Bose, S. K.; Sahoo, S.; Ghosh S
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011,   50, 3908
   
  DOI: 10.1002/anie.201008101
• From metallaborane to borylene complexes: syntheses and structures of triply bridged ruthenium and tantalum borylene complexes
  Geetharani, K.; Bose, S. K.; Varghese, B.; Ghosh, S
  Chem. Eur. J. 2010,   16, 11357
   
  DOI: 10.1002/chem.201001208