Towards Next Generation Heterobimetallic Complexes for Bond Activation and Multivalent Ion Batteries

Society is currently faced with a plethora of environmental challenges, and the need for sustainable development in technology has never been more apparent. Transition metal-mediated bond activation has made strides towards sustainable chemical synthesis but still leaves room for improvement. The first half of the dissertation will focus on the modification of current bimetallic catalysts, as complementary systems for single-site catalysts, developed by the Mankad group. The effects of these next-generation bimetallic complexes on bond activation and reactivity were studied. The second half details work focused on developments in multivalent ion battery electrolytes and cathode materials. An array of analytical techniques has been employed in studying the slow rearrangement chemistry of magnesium alkoxyaluminates and performance of quinone derived organic cathodes for zinc-ion batteries.