Alireza Ariafard

Alireza Ariafard is an Associate Professor in the School of Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry at the University of Tasmania. His research focuses on transition metal chemistry, catalysis, and computational mechanisms of organic/inorganic reactions. He leads projects funded by the Australian Research Council (e.g., the $387,705 Discovery Project on electrophile-driven reactions).

Research interests include gold-catalyzed reactions, manganese-based water oxidation catalysts, and DFT-driven exploration of catalytic pathways. He has supervised six doctoral students, including completed candidates Mona Jalali, Rasool Babaahadi, and Ali Gouranourimi. His work bridges experimental and computational studies to design novel catalysts and reaction mechanisms.

• Key Projects: 'A Midas Touch for Electrophiles in New Reaction Development' (2018–2025)
• Recent Focus: Bioinspired catalysts for water splitting, gold/redox catalysis, and transition metal oxidation mechanisms
• Publications: Over 180 articles covering catalytic design, reaction mechanisms, and energy-related materials