Dr Siyabonga Ngubane

Senior Lecturer

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Biography

  • Senior Lecturer (University of Cape Town), 2021 - present
  • Lecturer (University of Cape Town), 2016 - 2020
  • Lecturer (University of the Witwatersrand), 2013 - 2016
  • Adjunct Professor (San Jacinto College, North Campus), 2012 – 2013
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate (University of Houston), 2011 – 2013
  • PhD (University of Houston), 2011
  • BSc Honours (UCT), 2003

Research Interests

Owing to the rich redox chemistry of the transition metals, our research is aimed towards manipulating the redox properties of transition metal complexes of ruthenium and rhodium in particular amongst others. Through redox-tuning and solubility modulation, complexes are optimised for their applications as potential anti-cancer agents, catalysts for organic reaction transformations (hydroformylation; allylic oxidation, etc.) as well as materials fabrication for energy storage and sensors. The over-arching aim is therefore to successfully synthesize novel metal complexes and characterize them as to their physicochemical properties. Structure-Activity Relationships allows for correlating the activity of the complexes in their respective applications to structure, spectroscopy, redox properties, etc. 

Graphs and reaction pathways demonstratring research outcomes

Selected Publications 2019 - 2023

  1. de Doncker, S.; Smith, G. S.; Ngubane S.*Heteroleptic dirhodium(II,II) acetato-bipyridyl complexes: evaluation as catalyst precursors for hydroformylation reactions. Appl. Catal. A Gen. 2023 (Accepted).
  2. de Doncker, S.; Fischer-Fodor, E.; Vlad, C.; Achimas-Cadariu, P.; Smith, G. S.;  Ngubane S.* Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Unmodified Paddlewheel Dirhodium(II,II)-Acetate/-Formamidinate Complexes and Their Axially Modified Low-Valent Metallodendrimers. Molecules. 2023, 28, 2671 – 2683.
  3. Omosun N. N.; Ngubane, S.*; Smith, G. S. Hydroformylation of olefins using redox-active rhodium(I) alpha-diimine-cored aryl ether metallodendrimers. Appl. Catal. A Gen. 2021, 117950 – 117956. 
  4. de Doncker, S.; Casimiro, A.; Kotze, I. A.; Ngubane, S.*; Smith, G. S. Bimetallic Paddlewheel-type Dirhodium (II,II) Acetate and Formamidinate Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, Electrochemistry and Hydroformylation Activity. Inorg. Chem. 2020, 59, 12928 – 12940. 
  5. Aldeghi, C; Romano, D; Marschner, C; Biswas, S; Chakraborty, S; Prince, S; Ngubane, S.; Blom, B. Facile Entry to Germanate and Stannate Complexes [(h6-Arene)RuCl(h2-dppm)]+[ECl3]- (E = Ge, Sn) As Potent Anti-Cancer Agents. J. Organomet. Chem. 2020, 916, 1 – 11. 
  6. Berg, C.; Chari, S.; Jurgaityte, K.; Laurora, A.; Naldony, M.; Pope, F.; Romano, D.; Medupe, T.; Prince, S.; Ngubane, S.*; Baumgartner, J.; Blom, B. Modulation of the solubility properties of arene ruthenium complexes bearing stannyl ligands as potential anti-cancer agents. J. Organomet. Chem. 2019, 891, 12 – 19.