Our research activites have evolved from the time we started a research group at the Indian Institute of Science in 1983. Until 1990, we mostly explored coordination and organometallic complexes for interesting reactivity patterns and structure types. During this time, our work was centered on copper(I) complexes.
We explored the role of Cu-Cu interactions in copper(I) clusters, copper(I) being a d10 system should not have contacts with other closed shell systems. however in many clusters there are short d10-d10 contacts. What is the reason?
Reactivity of the Cu-OAr bond with soft heterocumulenes: The reactions of heterocumulenes are important because they are models for carbon dioxide. Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, sequestering it and converting it into useful molecules are important goals.
Copper(I) is an excellent catalyst for many organic transformations. The reactions of copper(I) compounds with organic compounds are quite interesting. The major problem is that the catalytic intermediate in many cases is an elusive copper(I) species. The emphasis is again on the chemistry of copper(I).
Our studies on copper(I) often led us to studies on interesting
weak interactions present in these complexes. We studied the role of
weak interactions between aryl phosphines and
anions and how their role affects the structure of copper(I) compounds. We
found that the chemistry of anions was poorly understood in
many
complexes.
We
could summarize this time in our research life as being
structure and reaction based, a time when we primarily
asked fundamental questions.
In the second phase, we added other themes to our studies on copper(I). We developed polynuclear ferrocene compounds. Specifically we wanted to look at electronic communication between ferrocenes connected through -CO-NH- linkages. However we turned our attention to the R'CH=N-R unit due to problems in the solubility properties of the CO-NH group. This led us to studies on Non linear optical properties of ferrocenes and modulation of their electronic properties by hydrogen bonds and charge transfer interactions.
We also started investigations on the reactivity of heterocumulenes with Ti4+. The closed shell nature of the high oxidation state of tiatnium should result in some similarites to copper(I) chemistry and at the same time be very different due to the difference in the oxidation state. This led us to new reactions hitherto unknown in the chemistry of titanium.
Most of the work in this area is summarized in the thesis of the students who have worked in my lab. Some of the work has also been published. The published work can be found in the page on topical publications. The thesis work is summarized in the thesis abstracts which will be available on line at the IISc thesis repository.Created on ... April 17, 2006