Messerle Group, School of Chemistry, UNSW

The Messerle Research Group

Research Interests - Nitrogen Fixation

(with Professor Les Field at the University of New South Wales)

Work has recently started on nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen is a key element in an enormous range of organic and inorganic compounds. Atmospheric nitrogen is the most abundant and convenient source of nitrogen. N₂ is converted to nitrogen containing compounds in the biosphere by bacterial nitrogen fixation using a family of enzymes known as nitrogenases. Industrially, nitrogen is reduced to ammonia via the well-established Haber process - a process requiring high temperature and pressure. Certain transition metals bind N₂ in a way that activates it for further reaction and the active sites of nitrogenases rely on transition metal centres (typically Fe and Mo) to bind and reduce N₂ efficiently.

The work in this research program involves developing new homogeneous catalysts which bind and activate N₂ for transformation into other nitrogen-containing compounds. We are currently designing and synthesising organometallic complexes (particularly binuclear complexes) for nitrogen reduction. We are also investigating complexes which enable us to add carbon to nitrogen in the synthesis of organic molecules containing N.

Research Groups

The Messerle Research Group

Research Interests - Nitrogen Fixation