I have obtained my PhD in Chemistry in 2008, at the University of Debrecen, at the Department of Physical Chemistry, in the field of reaction kinetics and mechanisms. Since, June 2011 I am employed as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of York, Department of Chemistry.

My research covers a broad range of topics in organometallic chemistry. Ranging from the synthesis, catalysis, reaction kinetics and mechanism, hyperpolarization as well different spectroscopic methods for characterisation, especially NMR. 

My current research focuses on the synthesis Iridium(I)-NHC-complexes as efficient catalyst for the magnetization transfer reactions. These types of complexes could be used as catalysts in polarization transfer from p-H₂ to different biologically relevant molecules in homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. I am interested in monitoring the reaction mechanisms and kinetics of these catalytic systems using SABRE techniques, allowing further expansion of the field into MRI. My research work includes synthesis of heterogeneous and homogeneous iridium-complexes for polarization transfer reactions in homogeneous and biphasic solution, gas phase polarization, etc.

October 1998 – June 2003 Student at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physical Chemistry, Serbia. In June 2003 I have obtained my Diploma degree in Physical Chemistr.

September 2003 – September 2006 PhD in Chemistry, with final PhD diploma in June 2008. Field: Reaction kinetics and catalysis

I did my PhD at the University of Debrecen, Hungary, in the Department of Physical Chemistry. In the field of reaction kinetics and catalysis. My research work included synthesis and characterization of ruthenium, rhodium, iridium and iron complexes with phosphine and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands, allenylidene and vinylidene complexes, etc. My work was based on analysis and studies of catalytic properties of metal complexes in different homogeneous catalytic reactions in water and in biphasic systems (water/organic). I carried out a lot of reactions of redox isomerisation, hydrogenation, hydrogen transfer, olefin metathesis, decomposition of formic acid, photochemical reactions, studied catalytic activity of complexes.

January 2007 – June 2009 Research assistant at the Research Group of Homogeneous Catalysis, Hungarian Academy of Science, Debrecen, Hungary.

My research work was in the field of reaction kinetics and catalysis. In this I was focused on: Organometallic synthesis of Ru(II), Rh(I) and Ir(I)-NHC, -phosphine complexes; air-sensitive ligands. Employing them in reactions of hydrogenation and hydrogen transfer and study their activity and reaction kinetics.

During this job spent four months as a visitor researcher at the Coordination and Organometallic chemistry laboratory at the University of Almería, Almería, Spain as part of a collaborative research work. During this collaborative work I studied photochemical hydrogen transfer reactions with bipyridyl/NHC-complexes of Ru(II) using the facilities of CIESOL (Solar Research Laboratory) of the University. There I was involved also in a research program focused to the synthesis and characterizations of new water soluble allenylidene and vinylidene Ru(II)-NHC complexes containing p-cymene ligands and the evaluation on their catalytic properties in olefin isomerization processes.

June 2009 – June 2011 Research Fellow at the University of Eastern Piedmont (Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale „Amedeo Avogadro”), Department of Bioinorganic and Inorganic Chemistry,  Alessandria, Italy. My research project was studding the relaxometric properties of Mn(II) and Gd(III)-complexes as potential contrast agents for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. These properties are relaxation rates, T1, T2, etc, via NMR spectroscopy, particularly at low field. These studies included: relaxometric studies, temperature dependence studies, pH dependence of water relaxation and the calculation of relaxometric properties.

June 2011 – present: Postdoctoral research associate at University of York, Department of Chemistry, Centre for Hyperpolarization in Magnetic Resonance. My research work includes synthesis of heterogeneous and homogeneous iridium-complexes for polarization transfer reactions in homogeneous and biphasic solution, gas phase polarization, etc.  (As a source of polarization I am using parahydrogen. In these reactions the non-Boltzman distribution from the parahydrogen is transferred into the targeted/monitored substrate and their signal intensity in NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹⁹F, ³¹P, ¹⁰⁹Rh) is increased massively.