Manuel Aquino

Manuel Aquino is a Professor of Chemistry at Saint Francis Xavier University. He holds a B.A. (1983) and B.Sc. (1985) from Queen's University, followed by an M.Sc. (1987) and Ph.D. (1991) from Carleton University. His postdoctoral research (1991–1993) at the University of Newcastle/King's College (UK) focused on bio-inorganic chemistry of iron enzymes under the supervision of Prof. A. Geoffrey Sykes.

His research group explores mixed-valent dimetal tetracarboxylates (e.g., ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, copper, rhenium) for applications in molecular devices, liquid crystals, cancer drugs, and catalysts. Key areas include chiral induction via diruthenium disassembly and structural studies of coordination complexes.

Recent articles highlight synthesis of ruthenium complexes for electronic devices, ligand-based disassembly mechanisms, and structural characterization of novel metal complexes. His work appears in journals like Inorg. Chim. Acta, Coord. Chem. Rev., and Acta Cryst.

Notable contributions include a citation classic paper on diruthenium tetracarboxylates (1998) and foundational studies on ruthenium–phosphine adducts. Collaborations with institutions like the University of Cape Town and international researchers are evident in his publications.

Labs/groups: His lab focuses on synthetic inorganic chemistry and materials science, with ongoing projects in chiral metal complexes and drug development.