Curriculum Vitae

Research

Sustainable and Cooperative Catalysis

Countless applied catalytic processes rely on unsustainable methodologies, e.g. using low-abundance precious metals, generating considerable waste, and requiring extreme reaction conditions. We develop next-generation catalytic systems targeting sustainable transformations. We tackle this on two fronts. The Single-Centre Ambiphiles, a novel ligand class developed in our group, allows for cooperative bond activation via unprecedented mechanistic pathways. Exploring this facet of cooperative bond activation allows for mild and waste-free catalytic transformations, with a focus on ammonia utilization. In addition, we work towards utilizing Mg and Ca, two of the most abundant metals on our planet, in achieving ‘transition-metal-mimicking’ catalytic processes, such as hydroformylation and hydrogenation. This is all grounded in organometallic synthesis, giving us the opportunity to thoroughly understand the chemistry at play in these systems (see research overview).