Research Interests:
Dr. Ujam is a coordination/organometallic chemist by training. His main research is aimed at: designing and making new ligands and metal complexes, application of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) in monitoring the synthesis and reactivities of transition metal complexes, X-ray crystallography, analytical chemistry and chemical kinetics.
In collaboration with Professor Scott McIndoe of University of Vitoria, BC, Canada) and Professor Allen Oliver of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, Ujam is investigating the use of boronic acid derivatives of [Pt2(µ-S)2(PPh3)4] as a precursor in the synthesis of bi- and polyaryl compounds via the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions.
Ujam in collaboration with Professor Pius O. Ukoha of University of Nigeria is currently working on developing the application of novel combination of different spectroscopic techniques such as multi-nuclear NMR, IR, UV, ESI-MS etc in investigating the coordination chemistry of glutathione, cysteine and its derivatives to heavy metal ions and their structural chemistry. This is aimed at developing an effective chelating agents/drugs for heavy metal detoxification in biological systems.
