The silica polyamine composites made from poly(allylamine) (PAA) and poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) were loaded with salts of Pd²⁺, Ru³⁺ and Rh³⁺ and the resulting materials were tested as hydrogenation catalysts. All were active catalysts under mild conditions with the Rh³⁺ and Ru³⁺ containing composites showing good selectivity for the reduction of cyclohexadiene to cyclohexene. The nature of the metal sites has been partially elucidated by SSNMR, XPS and TEM.

An efficient catalyst system, containing benzimidazolium salts bearing piperidine and morpholine moieties in Heck reaction of aryl halides with phenylboronic acid and styrene under microwave irradiation, is reported.

A series of Fe(III), Co(II) and Cu(II) complexes of 8-quinolinol were encapsulated into the supercages of zeoliteY and characterized by X-ray diffraction, SEM, N₂ adsorption/desorption, FT-IR, UV–vis spectroscopy, elemental analysis, ICP-AES and TG/DSC measurements. The encapsulation was achieved by a flexible ligand method in which the transition metal cations were first ion-exchanged into zeolite Y and then complexed with 8-quinolinol ligand. The metal-exchanged zeolites, metal complexes encapsulated in zeolite–Y plus non-encapsulated homogeneous counterparts were all screened as catalysts for the aerobic oxidation of styrene under mild conditions.

The synthesis and characterizations of three novel aminophosphine complexes derived from thiophene-2-(N-diphenylphosphino)methylamine are described. Transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone derivatives catalyzed by these complexes is also investigated.

Air-stable palladium(0) complexes bearing heterobidentate N-pyridyl-NHC ligands were prepared in high yields. These electron-rich precatalysts were applied in the selective transfer semihydrogenation of alkynes to Z-alkenes. Excellent results were obtained, with selectivities up to 99%.

A primary amine-based catalytic system exhibited excellent activity in the room temperature Suzuki–Miyaura reactions of aryl halides with arylboronic acids in aqueous media. The efficiencies of the ligands follow the order: (C₆H₅)₃CNH₂ > C₆H₅CH₂ NH₂ > C₆H₅ NH₂ > C₆H₁₁ NH₂ which is in accordance with the palladacycle forming capacity of the respective ligands.

Synthesis of non-symmetrical stilbene analogues of trans-resveratrol using the same Pd catalyst. After the first Heck arylation of ethylene, no isolation or additional catalyst loading is required for the second Heck arylation.

We have obtained the first crystalline chiral (acyloxy)borane from malic acid and 4-methylthiophenylboronic acid. This compounds exhibits remarkable reactivity in enantioselective reduction of acetophenones.

Four new diorganotin(IV) complexes of N-(3,5-dibromosalicylidene)tryptophane were synthesized and characterized. Their supramolecular structures formed by intermolecular weak interactions are discussed. The complexes displayed high cytotoxic activity against two human tumor cell lines

One-pot regioselective benzylations using zirconium tetrachloride at C-2 position for pyrroles and C-3 for indoles are discussed.

A monometallic (Cu²⁺, 1) and a bimetallic (Cu²⁺Nd³⁺, 2) complex based on the Salen-type Schiff-base ligand H₂L (H₂L = N,N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)ethylene-1,2-diamine) were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, ESI-MS and X-ray crystallography. The catalysis results showed that the two complexes with different active species, could efficiently catalyze the bulk solvent-free melt ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide with moderate molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions. Especially for the bimetallic complex 2, the involvement of rare earth ions effectively passivated the catalytic behaviors on the ROP of L-lactide with bigger polymeric molecular weights (M_w and M_n) and better polymerization controllability.

Calix[4]arene derivatives containing ferrocene units at the upper rim have been synthesized and their anion-binding and sensing investigated towards anions such as chloride, bromide and hydrogen sulfate by cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical studies show that these redox-active ligands electrochemically recognize chloride and bromide anions. These compounds have excellent selectivity for chloride and bromide ions, in the comparison with hydrogen sulfate anion. With ferrocenyl Schiff base calix[4]arene 1 an anodic shift as large as 302 mV is observed on addition of four equivalents of Cl⁻ anion.