Yamuna R.

Biography

Dr. Yamuna R. currently serves as Associate Professor at the Department of Sciences (Chemistry), School of Engineering, Coimbatore. She has served as Principal Investigator for CSIR, DST, DRDO and MHRD Centre projects. Her areas of research include Liquid Crystalline Material for Fuel Cell Applications, Nano Materials, Porphyrins, Lead Acid Battery, Non Linear Optical Material.

Research Interest

My group’s primary research interest is in the design and synthesis of Liquid crystalline organocobaloximes with new or modified equatorial and axial ligands. Organocobaloximes, initially proposed as models of the Vit B12 coenzyme, have attracted the growing interest of scientists due to their potential applications as catalyst in organic synthesis and rich co-ordination chemistry with almost unlimited possibilities for substituents in the axial and equatorial position. Metallomesogens have fascinated much interest due to the capability of the metal ion to play either structural role or a functional role (i.e, imparting physical or chemical properties). Liquid crystalline cobaloximes are promising in view of their facile synthesis and low cost. Cobaloxime complexes are among the best synthetic transition metal catalysts known for H2 production. They are relatively easy to synthesize and are oxygen tolerant. Cobaloximes can be readily coupled into natural and artificial photosynthetic systems. Recently, photo catalytic supramolecular assemblies containing a cobaloxime active site for solar cell and fuel cell applications have also been reported in the literature. Our interest here to synthesis and characterize new organometallic compounds for H2 production. X-ray crystallography is useful in identifying known materials, characterizing new materials and in perceptive materials that appear similar by other experiments. X-ray crystallography is widely used in biological research. Conformation of biomolecules plays a major role in the design of new drugs. The crystal structures of various organic compounds determined in the present study own medicinal, biological and pharmaceutical importance. Porphyrin-based functional photonic materials have been the cornerstone of research because of their structural rigidity, thermal stability, photochemical, and electrochemical properties. Linking porphyrins to material systems can improve the photochemical and redox properties of the systems. To facilitate the absorptivity of photo absorbers in case of photochemical devices nano materials are functionalized with chromophores such as azo benzene. Porphyrin functionalized carbon nanomaterial shows high third order non-linear optical properties. VRLA battery has been developed into a versatile and extremely reliable energy-storage device. The most commonly used gelling agent, fumed silica, has many disadvantages such as, contamination of the local working environment, particularly during paste-mixing, and occupational hygiene and handling problems. It is also bulky to transport and has long gel times unless used at very high concentrations. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for an alternative gelling agent for sulfuric acid in the production of gelled-electrolyte (GEL) VRLA batteries. It is expected that gel batteries with tubular positive plates can display excellent performance.