Claudio Verani, P.I.

Claudio Verani was born in Orleans, Brazil. He got his Master’s degree (1997, summa cum laude) at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. His Ph.D. degree came from the Max-Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry and Ruhr Universität-Bochum in Germany as a DAAD fellow, studying magnetic coupling in heterometallic and heteronuclear species. He moved to the US in 2000 for postdoctoral work at the Johns Hopkins University, modelling dioxygen activation by Cytochrome-c-oxidase.  At Wayne State since 2002, he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2008 and to Professor of Chemistry in 2013. He also serves as Associate Dean for Research at the WSU – College of Liberal Arts and Sciences since 2017. He and his group utilize a multidisciplinary approach to develop (i) new concepts in molecular electronics, (ii) Earth-abundant catalysts for water splitting, and (iii) environmentally benign metal recovery. In his free time, he enjoys the company of wife, daughter, and dog, tries to make music, and reads about archaeology and history.

Contact: claudio.verani@wayne.edu

Professional record

Current group

Former Ph.D. students

Name	Ph.D. dissertation	Present position
Fredricka Morgan	Investigating bimetallic catalysis through water splitting and alcohol oxidation	Research engineer at Intel Corporation, Arizona
Samudra Amunugama	Development of terpyridine-based metallosurfactants for directional electron tunneling, 2022	R&D chemist at Intel Corporation, Hillsboro, OR
Isuri Weeraratne	Induction and prevention of electron transport in Langmuir-Blodgett films of 3d-based metallosurfactants: Studies on current rectification and corrosion inhibition, 2021	Sr. lecturer at U. Sri Jayewardenepura,  Sri Lanka
Nour El-Harakeh	Investigation of Mechanisms in 3d-containing Electro/Photocatalysts for Water/Proton Reduction, 2020	Free-lancer in Newark, NJ
Ana Carolina Precioso	Mono, Bi and trimetallic complexes for Hydrogen Production, 2019	Free-lancer in Cologne, Germany
Danushka Ekanayake	Insights and challenges in the development of molecular copper-based electrocatalysts for water reduction, 2019	PDF at Marquette U., Milwalkee, WI
Renata Crispim Batista	Cobalt(III) complexes as models for selective prodrugs against cancer, 2018 (Co-advised with M. Lanznaster, UFF, Brazil)	Sr. Lecturer at Serra da Mesa College, Goiania, Brazil
Pavithra Kankanamalage	Pyridine platforms for catalytic water reduction based on nickel and iron complexes, 2018	Staff scientist at Brookhaven National Labs, Upton, NY
Habib Baydoun	Water Splitting Using Cobalt-based Amidopyridine Complexes, 2017	Sr. research chemist at Bissell Homecare, Grand Rapids, MI.
Kenneth Kpogo	Evaluation of Earth-abundant Monometallic and Bimetallic Complexes for Catalytic Water splitting, 2017	Sr. engineering scientist at Moses Lake Industries, Moses Lake, WA
Sunalee Gonawala	Electron Transfer Studies in Langmuir-Blodgett Films of Metallosurfactants for Current Rectification, Corrosion Mitigation, and Water Oxidation, 2016	Research scientist at Dulux Group, Australia
Debashis Basu	Investigation of New Ligand Architectures towards Proton and Water Reduction Catalysis by Cobalt Complexes, 2015	Research assistant professor at U. Illinois, Chicago, IL.
Ryan Thomas	On the nature of excited states in ruthenium complexes: towards renewable energy, 2015 (Co-advised with J. F. Endicott)	Emerging contaminants principal, Parsons Corporation, Centreville, VA
Dajena Tomco	Probing Proteasome Inhibition by Metal Complexes as a New Route for Anticancer Therapy, 2014	Chemistry lecturer at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Lanka Wickramasinghe	Redox-active Trivalent Metallosurfactants with Low Global Symmetry for Molecule-based Electronics, 2014	Sr. scientist at Solvay,  Houston, TX
Dakshika Wanniarachchi	Development of New Ruthenium/terpyridine Complexes for Water Oxidation, 2013	Sr. lecturer at U. Kelanyia, Sri Lanka
Frank D. Lesh	Synthesis, Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Properties of 3d Metal and Ruthenium Complexes, 2012	Research scientist at Henkel North America
Sree Rama Shanmugam	Synthesis, Redox Properties, and Langmuir Monolayer Formation of Selected 3d and 4d Metalloamphiphiles, 2011	Chemist II at Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Sommerset, NJ
Marco Allard	Experimental and Theoretical Analysis of the Electronic Behavior in Five-coordinate Iron(III) and Six-coordinate Cobalt(III) Complexes with Electroactive Phenol-rich Ligands, 2010	Associate professor at La Sierra University, Riverside, CA
Sarmad Hindo	Renaissance of Phenolate Chemistry: From Materials to Drugs, 2009	Associate professor at High Point U. High Point, NC
Jeffery Driscoll	Asymmetry and Cluster Incorporation in Metal-containing Soft Materials, 2007	Intelligence specialist with the U.S. NAVY
Rajendra Shakya	Asymmetry and Cluster Incorporation in Metal-containing Soft Materials, 2007	Associate professor at Broward College, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Former postdoctoral fellows

Name	Present position	Year
Dr. Fernando Xavier	Currently an assistant professor at the Universidade Estadual de Santa Catarina, Joinville, Brazil	2011-2012
Dr. Rajendra Shakya	Currently an assistant professor at Broward College, Fort Lauderdale, FL	2009-2012
Dr. Mauricio Lanznaster	Currently an associate professor at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, Brazil	2004-2005

Former M.Sc. and M.A. students

Name	Thesis	Present position
Brittany Venglarcik	M.A. thesis – 2015	Axalta Coating Systems
Sarmad Hindo	Synthesis, Structure, Electrochemistry, Spectroscopy, and Reactivity of Phenolate-based Copper(II) Archetypes and Modules for Magnetic Soft Materials, M.Sc. thesis – 2005	Associate professor at High Point U. High Point, NC
Camille Imbert	Redox, Magnetic and Structural Behavior of Iron(III), Cobalt(III), and Gallium(III) Complexes of Electroactive Asymmetric Ligands, M.Sc. thesis – 2005	Sr. director for Galapagos Pharma

Former undergraduate students

Name	Area of study	Year
Krista Kulesa	Copper- and cobalt-based catalysts	2016
Garrett Figley	Ligand synthesis & Nickel-based catalysts	2016
Veronica Ribeiro	Summer Guest Student from Brazil	2015
Jordyn Burdick	Ligand synthesis & Cobalt-based catalysts	2015
Grace Hardin	Cobalt-based electron acceptors	2012
Matthew Aharonov	Interactions in the Maya Blue pigment	2012
Emily Davis	Toxic metals as proteasome inhibitors in healthy cells	2011
Joseph Lengyel	Cobalt-based electron acceptors	2011
Kasem Faraj	Iron-based redox-surfactants	2011
Emil Lousanov	Synthesis and characterization of ruthenium compounds	2010
Matthew Laschuck	Effect of aluminum on proteasome inhibition	2010
Matthew Young	Synthesis of ligands containing phenanthroline moieties	2010
Huong Nguyen	Effect of counterions on proteasome inhibition	2010
Farah Jourjous	Synthesis of ligands containing sulfonic groups	2009
Bethany Gross	Synthesis of TERPY based complexes for self-assembly	2009
Christina Hoffman	Films of cobalt and iron stearate complexes	2008
Michael Pfiffer	Mesophases of copper-containing liquid crystals	2007
Dajena Tomco	Mechanisms of proteasome inhibition by metallodrugs	2007
Jessica Darland	Fe(III) complexes of electroactive asymmetrical ligands	2007
Leslie Neidy	Cobalt(III) complexes with N2O3-type ligands	2006
Azzam Moussawel	Metallomesogens bearing a µ4-oxo copper(II) cluster	2005
Sarah House	Coordination modes of Fe(III) in ρ-aminobenzoic acid	2005
Jashan Octain	Multimetallic complexes with copper and lanthanides	2004
Lena Vikdorchik	Multimetallic complexes with copper and iron	2003
Themina Chaudhuri	Multimetallic complexes with copper and cobalt	2003