Deborah Kays

Professor Deborah Kays is a faculty member in the School of Chemistry at Cardiff University, where she serves as Head of School. Her research focuses on organometallic chemistry, particularly stabilizing low-coordinate complexes of main group and transition elements. These compounds are studied for applications in catalysis, small molecule activation, energy storage, and magnetism. She employs synthetic and physical characterization techniques such as NMR, X-ray diffraction, and magnetochemistry.

• Educations:
• MChem Chemistry (2000), Cardiff University
• PhD (2004), Cardiff University

Research Interests: Professor Kays investigates the synthesis and reactivity of highly unsaturated organometallic compounds stabilized by bulky ligands. Key areas include the design of novel ligands for heterobimetallic systems, catalytic applications of earth-abundant metals, and magnetic properties of single-molecule magnets. Her work often involves collaborations to explore reaction mechanisms and material properties.

Articles Trends: Recent publications emphasize iron-catalyzed reactions, low-coordinate metal complexes, and magnetic behavior. Studies include CO homologation, alkyne cyclotrimerization, and structural analysis of terphenyl ligand systems.

• Awards:
• RSC Chemistry of the Transition Metals Award (2018)

Advising & Grants: Professor Kays has supervised numerous researchers, with a focus on synthetic and mechanistic studies. Her grants support projects in catalytic systems and energy-related materials. She collaborates widely, contributing to interdisciplinary research in organometallic chemistry.

Labs/Teams: Her research group actively engages in synthetic and characterization studies, leveraging Cardiff’s facilities for advanced spectroscopic and structural analysis.