Ph. D. THESIS COLLOQUIUM
Name: Ms. I. G. Shanmugapriya
Research Supervisor: Prof. S. Natarajan
Title: Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of Inorganic Oxides
Date &Time: Monday, 08th September 2025 at 11:00 a.m.
Venue: Rajarshi Bhattacharya Memorial Lecture Hall, Chemical Sciences Building
Abstract:
A wide variety of oxide materials (based on rock salt, spinel, corundum, perovskite, garnet, and pyrochlore) have highly adaptable structures, and their properties can easily be modified by suitable substitutions at various positions in the framework structure.[1-2] The main difficulty in studying these compounds is in synthesising and stabilizing them under laboratory conditions that provide many possibilities to explore newer structures and properties.[1-2]
The thesis work is the exploration of the synthesis, structures, and properties of inorganic oxide compounds that are derived from the mineral structures. The new series of inorganic oxide compounds was explored towards many physical and chemical properties in the areas of pigments, near-ultraviolet (UV) cutoff, near-infrared (NIR) reflecting behaviour, Raman studies, magnetic studies, dielectric studies, second-harmonic generation (SHG), photoluminescence behaviours, photocatalytic, and electrocatalytic applications.
We investigated new colored compounds in palmierite structure via metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT), (Zn3-xMx)A2O8 (M = Co, Ni, Cu, and A = V, P),[3] and explored melilite (Bi2ZnB2O7) compound as a host for colored compounds and phosphor for rare earth luminescence.[4]We also studied telluroborates A2M2TeB2O10 (A= Ba and Pb; M= Mg, Zn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Fe) for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and visible light-assisted organic reaction studies.[5] Both dugganite A3BC3D2O14 (A = Pb, Ba, Sr; B = Te, Sb; C = Al, Ga, Fe, Zn; D = P, V, As, Si, Ge) and ludwigite (M2.5T0.5)(O2BO3), (M2T)(O2BO3); (M = Co, Ni, Cu; T = Ti, Sn, Fe) structures were explored as a host for new colored compounds and OER studies.[6-7]
Reference:
Pfaff, G. Mixed Metal Oxide Pigments. Phys. Sci. Rev. 2022, 7, 7−16.
Cox, P. A. Transition metal oxides: an introduction to their electronic structure and properties; Oxford University Press, 2010.
I. G. Shanmugapriya, S. Mukherjee, A. Muñoz, G. Vaitheeswaran, S. Natarajan, Exploration of Metal-Metal Charge Transfer (MMCT) and its Effect in Generating New Colored Compounds in Mixed Metal Oxides. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2023, 26, e202300468. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejic.202300468
I. G. Shanmugapriya, S. Sa, S. Natarajan, Studies on the melilite compound, Bi2ZnB2O7, as a host for new colored compounds and as a phosphor for rare – earth luminescence. J. Chem. Sci., 2025, 137, https://doi.org/10.1007 s12039-025-02402-w
I. G. Shanmugapriya, S. Sa, S. Natarajan, Synthesis, Structure, Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) and Visible-Light Assisted Organic Reaction Studies on A2M2TeB2O10 (A= Ba and Pb; M= Mg, Zn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Fe). Dalton Trans., 2025, 54, 2753-2764. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4DT02706J
I. G. Shanmugapriya, M. Dey, M. Liang, D. Borah, A. K. Singh, P. S. Halasyamani, M. Shanmugam, S. Natarajan, The Dugganite Structure as a Host for New Colored Compounds and for Oxygen Evolution Studies. Chem. Eur. J. 2025, e202501300. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202501300
I. G. Shanmugapriya, M. Dey, A. K. Singh, S. Natarajan, Heterometallic Ludwigite (M2.5T0.5)(O2BO3) and (M2T)(O2BO3); (M = Co, Ni, Cu; T = Ti, Sn, Fe) Compounds as Electrocatalysts. (Manuscript under preparation)