The Organic and Organometallic Chemistry Group

The current research activities of the Organic and Organometallic Chemistry Group are focused on organic synthesis, main-group organometallic chemistry and transition-metal homogeneous catalysis.

Members

Research Staff
Maria Micha-Screttas, PhD, Research Director, IOPC Acting Director
Ioannis Kostas, PhD, Research Director
Barry Steele, PhD, Research Director
George Heropoulos, PhD, Research Director
Carolina Villalonga-Barber, PhD, Researcher C'

Researcher Emeritus
Constantinos Screttas, PhD

Scientific Technical Staff
Georgia Antonopoulou, PhD
Cecile Arbez-Gindre, PhD

Post-doctoral Fellows
Kalliopi Vallianatou, PhD, Research Fellow-FP7-ARCADE
Spyros Georgakopoulos, PhD, Research Fellow-FP7-ARCADE
Robert Csonka, PhD, Research Fellow-FP7-ARCADE


PhD students
Alia Christina Tenchiu

Current Projects

SYNTHESIS OF FUNCTIONAL ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Recent research interests concern the design and synthesis of organic NLO materials and near-infrared dyes, sterically demanding aromatics and bio-active molecules. High energy techniques involving the use of ultrasound and microwaves are being developed

MAIN GROUP ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY
Reductive metalation of arylthioethers and related compounds, and organolithium reagents modified by metal alkoxide additives open up routes to novel synthetic methodologies. These studies are supported by mechanistic and structural studies using multinuclear NMR

TRANSITION METAL HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS
A range of homogeneous catalytic systems in organic synthesis involving transition-metal complexes with hybrid and hemilabile phosphorus ligands, phosphane-free ligands for aerobic catalysis are being studied. Asymmetric catalysis and aqueous biphasic catalysis are also subjects of special interest.

CATALYSIS BY METAL NANOPARTICLES
Thiosemicarbazone-stabilised metal nanoparticles as recyclable catalysts in semi-heterogeneous catalysis are being studied.

DENDRIMER CHEMISTRY
Current and planned work involves the synthesis of  metallodendrimeric molecules for use as nanocatalysts, of near-infrared absorbing organometallic dendrimers and the development of solid-phase techniques for dendrimer synthesis

Collaborations

Recent Funded Programmes

Recent Publications