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Department of
CHEMISTRY

Dr. Kokila Ranasinghe

B.Sc (Sri Jayewardenepura); PhD in Chemistry – Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA

Senior Lecturer (G II)

Department of Chemistry
  • Colombo Regional Center, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Nawala
  • koran@ou.ac.lk

I am interested and actively involved in exploring novel metal complexes and their useful properties in solving health and environmental problems. I first realized my enthusiasm in this area as an undergraduate at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura while analyzing some Re(I) complexes for their potential applications in diagnostic imaging under the supervision of Prof. Theshini Perera. In the spring of 2014 I joined the department of chemistry, Louisiana State University of USA as a Ph.D candidate. Under the supervision of Prof. Luigi Marzilli, I received the opportunity to work on Pt(II) based anticancer agents and non-radioactive Re(I) complexes (185-Re) as models in developing radiopharmaceuticals of 99m-Tc and 187-Re. I was the 2018 awardee of the Mary Jo Pribble Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Inorganic Chemistry offered by Louisiana State University. I have authored several peer-reviewed research articles published internationally (Inorg. Chem.) and in locally recognized journals and won an NRC (Sri Lanka) merit award for scientific publications in 2016. 

 After graduating from LSU, I joined the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL) as a lecturer in Chemistry in 2019 and then joined the Open University of Sri Lanka as a senior lecturer in Chemistry in 2022. As a teacher, my goal is to motivate young generations to pursue and excel in science.

 

Inorganic Chemistry
Bioinorganic Chemistry

Design, synthesis, characterization and property analysis of novel inorganic/organometallic complexes, Design and develop sustainable solutions for disposing and recycling biodegradable waste.
  • Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Sri Lanka (2022 April to present)
  • Lecturer (Unconfirmed), Department of Chemical Sciences, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, Sammanthurai (2019 – 2022)
  • Visiting Lecturer, Australian College of Business and Technology, Colombo (2019)
  • Research and Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA (2014 – 2018)
  • Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemistry, University of Sri Jayewardenepura (2013)

 



CYU3201 – Basic Principles of Chemistry II
CYU4300 – Inorganic Chemistry

International Publications:

  • Ranasinghe, K.; Marzilli, P. A.; Pakhomova, S.; Marzilli, L. G. New fac-[ReI(CO)3(Ltri)]Y complexes of linear N,N′,N′′-tridentate ligands (Ltri) with terminal imidazolyl or pyridyl ring (N and N′′) and central tertiary sulfonamide (N′) N-donors. Effects of size and substituents of the terminal N-donor rings and the rarely found direct sulfonamide N to metal bond, Inorg. Chim. Acta 2021, 533, 120781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ica.2021.120781.
  • Ranasinghe, K.; Marzilli, P. A.; Fronzek, F. R.; Marzilli, L. G. Linear Bidentate Ligands (L) with Two Terminal Pyridyl N-Donor Groups Forming PtIILCl2 Complexes with Rare Eight-Membered Chelate Rings, Inorg. Chem.2018, 57, 12756–12768. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b01943.
  • Ranasinghe, K.; Marzilli, P. A.; Pakhomova, S; Marzilli, L. G. A Very Rare Example of a Structurally Characterized 3′-GMP Metal Complex. NMR and Synthetic Assessment of Adducts Formed by Guanine Derivatives with [Pt(Ltri)Cl]Cl Complexes with an N,N’,N” Tridentate Ligand (Ltri) Terminated by Imidazole Rings, Inorg. Chem. 2017, 56, 8462–8477. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b01176. 
  • Ranasinghe, K.; Handunnetti, S.; Perera, I. C.; Perera, T. Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Rhenium(I) Complexes towards Potential Biological Imaging Applications. Chem. Cent. J. 2016, 10,71. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13065-016-0218-4.

Local Publications:

  • Chandramali, M.A.N.; Ranasinghe, K. Evaluation of the effect of cocopeat in continuous thermophilic composting (CTC) of kitchen waste, a preliminary study of the process rate and the quality of compost. Journal of Science-FAS-SEUSL. 2021. https://www.seu.ac.lk/jsc/publication/v2n2/Manuscript%202.pdf. 

 

By Kokila Research Group Members:

  • 11th Nov 2022 – “Evaluation of a Zinc(II) phenanthroline complex as a potential inorganic phosphate sensor” Presented at International Open University Research Sessions  – 2022 conducted by the Open University of Sri Lanka. – Presenter –  P. Maheshwaran
  • 30th Nov 2021 – “Evaluation of the effect of cocopeat in continuous thermophilic composting (CTC) of kitchen waste.” Presented at 10th Annual Science Research Sessions – 2021 conducted by South Eastern University of Sri Lanka. – Presenter – K. Chandramali

By Kokila Ranasinghe:

  • 7th Nov 2019 – “An NMR Spectral Study Investigating Potential Anticancer Activity of a Platinum(II) sulfonamide complex.” Presented at 8th Annual Science Research Sessions – 2019 conducted by South Eastern University of Sri Lanka. – Oral
  • 4th May 2018 – “New Platinum(II) and Rhenium(I) Complexes of “Linear” Chelate Ligands Terminated with Pyridyl or Imidazolyl N-Donor Groups.” Presented at Graduate Excellence Research Symposium, Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University – Oral
  • 9th November 2017 – “New Linear Tridentate or Bidentate N,N,N” Ligands Terminated by Imidazolyl Rings Elaborated by Dangling Groups at the Central Nitrogen (N’) and Intended for Use in Diagnostic or Therapeutic Metal Complexes.” Presented at Southeast Regional Meeting of American Chemical Society (SERMACS) – Poster
  • 9th March 2017 – “Novel Monofunctional Platinum Complexes with Tridentate Ligands as Potential Anticancer Drugs.” Presented at Prof. Barry Dellinger Research Symposium, Louisiana State University – Poster
  • 21st June 2013 – “Synthesis and Characterization of Rhenium(I) Tricarbonyl Ferene Complexes for Fluorescence Imaging.” Presented at the technical session: A-37 at Institute of Chemistry Ceylon – Oral

 

  • Full member – Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)
  • Member – Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS)
  • Associate Member – Women Chemists Committee of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon
  • TWAS research grant award 2021 – sponsored by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) to be utilized until 2nd of November 2023. Proposal Title: Evaluation of [Re(CO)3L]+ Complexes of L = NN(SO2R)N-Type Linear Tridentate Sulfonamide Ligands as Theragnostic PhotoCORMs (Photo-Activated CO Releasing Molecules).
  • Mary Jo Pribble Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Inorganic Chemistry 2018 –awarded by the Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, USA.
  • Coates Conference Travel Award 2017 – offered by the College of Science, Louisiana State University to present a research paper at SERMACS 2017.
  • Merit Award for Scientific Publications 2016 – awarded by the National Research Council, Sri Lanka (2016).
  • Merit Award 2013 – Inter University Chemistry Competition (Royal Society of Chemistry, Sri Lanka).

 

  • Full member – Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD)
  • Member – Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS)
  • Associate Member – Women Chemists Committee of the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon

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