Ananthu Rajan

• Polyoxometalates (POMs) are discrete, anionic metal-oxo clusters with a rich variety in structure and composition associated with a wide range of physicochemical properties and applications in areas as diverse as catalysis, magnetism, materials science, molecular electronics, biology, and medicine. This thesis is constructed upon the synthesis, characterization and applications of three different classes of compounds that include the palladium(II)- and lead(II)-containing heteropolytungstates, and platinum(II)-containing thiometalate. Majority of the materials are noble metal-based systems, which were proven to be highly efficient catalyst precursors for various types of organic transformations such as the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of aryl halides, selective hydrogenation of 1-octyne to 1-octene, and hydrogenation of o-xylene to cis- and trans-1,2-dimethylcyclohexane.