Organometallic Catalysis & Renewable Energy Lab
PDaw Group
Our research centres on the design and development of bifunctional transition metal complexes that harness the power of secondary coordination sphere functionalities to achieve catalytic transformation beyond the reach of traditional metal-centred approaches. By strategically integrating proton-responsive motifs, Lewis basic arms, and Lewis acid units directly into the ligand backbone, we create molecular architectures capable of dual-site reactivity and cooperative substrate activation.
The secondary coordination sphere features enable precise modulation of metal-centre properties while simultaneously interacting with substrates through hydrogen bonding, proton transfer, or Lewis acid–base cooperativity. Such synergistic effects facilitate the activation of traditionally inert small molecules and challenging organic substrates, expanding the scope of accessible catalytic pathways. Overall, these multifunctional ligand environments unlock new mechanistic manifolds, enabling selective, energy-efficient, and sustainable catalytic processes.
Concept of Ligand Designing
Renewable H2 Generation and Circular Economy
By designing molecularly well-defined catalytic systems, we enhance our efforts to produce sustainable hydrogen from renewable and waste-derived carbon resources. Building on our expertise in catalysis, our group is integrating catalyst innovation with detailed reaction-pathway elucidation to establish efficient routes for clean, on-demand hydrogen generation that avoid fossil-derived hydrogen sources.
Central to our vision is the incorporation of circular-economy principles, transforming carbon-rich waste into value-added products while simultaneously supplying Renewable Hydrogen as a carbon-neutral energy carrier. Through selective bond-activation strategies and the development of earth-abundant metal complexes, we seek to convert challenging feedstocks into useful monomers, fuels, and functional chemicals, closing material loops and reducing environmental impact. Our research ultimately aims to establish a molecular-level foundation for sustainable hydrogen technologies that integrate seamlessly with future circular chemical manufacturing processes.
ChemCatChem 2025 (Link)
RSC Adv 2024 (Link)
Organometallics 2023 (Link)
Dalton Transactions 2023 (Link)
N-N bond activation
While transition metal catalysis has revolutionised the reductive and hydrogenative transformation of unsaturated organic compounds, the activation of N–N multiple bonds remains a considerable challenge due to their inherently high bond dissociation energies.
Our research focuses on developing transition metal molecular catalysts supported by functionalized NNN-based ligand frameworks to enable efficient and selective N–N bond activation under mild and environmentally benign conditions. Embracing sustainable strategies like proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) or transfer hydrogenative cleavage pathways, we aim to unlock new mechanisms for N–N bond cleavage that bypass harsh reagents and energy-intensive processes. Through the design of finely tuned ligand environments and cooperative catalytic platforms, our work seeks to establish new paradigms in sustainable nitrogen reactivity, paving the way for greener routes to ammonia, amines, and other value-added nitrogen-containing products.
ChemCatChem 2025 (Link)
ChemCatChem 2025 (Link)
Chem Asian J 2025 (Link)
Chem Comm 2024 (Link)
Lewis acids in the Secondary Coordination Sphere
The design of homogeneous systems appended with Lewis acidic boranes in the secondary coordination sphere (SCS) has gained significant attention due to their unique ability to capture and activate various incoming substrate molecules during catalysis.
Chem Comm 2025 (Link)
• Design of new ligands containing proton-responsive arm
• Synthesis of the organometallic complex with a transition metal, late d-block metals, and alkaline-earth metals
• Homogeneous catalysis in organic transformation under sustainable, atom-economic and environment-friendly conditions
• Cooperative catalyst between the Transition metal and Frustrated Lewis Pair
• Activate small molecule (CO2, CO, H2, N2, O2) and synthesis value-added organic products
• Renewable energy, biofuel, and the Hydrogen Economy
