Dr. Abdul Malik P. Peedikakkal
Associate Professor
Dr. Abdul Malik’s lab conducts interdisciplinary research in inorganic chemistry and materials science, emphasizing crystal engineering to develop functional materials for clean energy, environmental sustainability, catalysis, and advanced student training.
📍 Bldg. 4-229 I Bldg. 4-225
☎ (+966) 13 860 7552
🔗 ORCID: 0000-0002-4745-2843
🔗 Scopus: 23393848700
Research Area
⬡ Crystal Engineering
⬡ Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs)
⬡ Energy, Catalysis, and Optoelectronics
Crystal Engineering
Our research area focuses on the rational design of crystalline materials using crystal engineering principles and advanced structural characterization techniques. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) is employed to elucidate structure–property relationships in coordination polymers and metal–organic frameworks. Studies include solid-state transformations, framework flexibility, and photochemical reactions in crystalline solids, providing fundamental insight into atomic-level structure and material behavior.
Metal–Organic Frameworks
This area emphasizes the design, synthesis, and functionalization of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with tailored porosity, topology, and chemical stability. Research targets MOFs for gas storage, including hydrogen, methane, and CO₂ capture. By controlling metal nodes and organic linkers, this work aims to develop advanced porous materials addressing challenges in clean energy and environmental sustainability.
Functional Materials for Energy, Catalysis, and Optoelectronics
Research in this area explores functional coordination materials for energy-related and technological applications. This includes MOF-based heterogeneous catalysts for CO₂ conversion and environmentally benign chemical processes, as well as photoluminescent and white-light-emitting MOF materials for energy-efficient lighting and optoelectronic devices. The goal is to integrate structural design with functional performance in next-generation materials.
Education
✔︎ Postdoc: Texas A&M University at Qatar, 2013
✔︎ Postdoc: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 2011-2013
✔︎ PhD: National University of Singapore, 2010
✔︎ MSc: Mahatma Gandhi University, 2004
✔︎ BSc: Calicut University, 2002
- Bello, A. K.; Fathurrahman, N. A.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P.; Al-Saadi, A. A. Halogen-Modulated Tautomerism towards Reversable Tunable Photoswitching in N-(3,5-Di-Tert-Butylsalicylidene)-4-Halobenzenes: Insights from DFT and TD-DFT. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A Chem. 2026, 471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2025.116735.
- Yusuf, B. O.; Ganiyu, S. A.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P.; Oladepo, S. A. ZnO/Cu-BTC Metal-Organic Frameworks as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for Efficient Transformation of Waste Cooking Oil into Biodiesel. Biomass and Bioenergy 2026, 204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108381.
- Alfarraj, A.; Alfuraidan, M. R.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P.; Sarumi, I. O. Graph-Based Machine Learning Framework for Predicting Hydrogen Storage Capacity in Metal–Organic Frameworks. J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2025, 65 (19), 10093–10106. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jcim.5c01528.
- Kurakula, U.; Naaz, S.; Roy, S.; Khan, S.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P*; Medishetty, R.; Mir, M. H. Light-Driven Structural Transformations in Isotypical Cd(Ii) Complexes: Stereoselectivity and Photosalient Motion. Chem. Commun. 2025, 61 (41), 7494–7497. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5cc01076d.
- Abdulaziz, F.; Jamal, A.; Faizi, M. S. H.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P.; Hussain, A.; Al-Busaidi, I. J.; Dege, N.; Alenezi, K. M.; Haque, A. Experimental and Theoretical Studies of Pyrazole-4-Carbaldehyde Derivatives by X-Ray Crystallography, DFT, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics Simulation. J. Mol. Struct. 2025, 1321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2024.139796.
- Alghamdi, A. M. A.; Cholikadam, S.; Fettouhi, M.; Kalanthoden, A. N.; Jalilov, A. S.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P*. Blue- and White-Light Emitting 2D Metal-Organic Frameworks of Cis-5-Norbornene-Endo-2,3-Dicarboxylic Acid. CrystEngComm 2025, 27 (7), 913–920. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ce00985a.
- Yusuf, B. O.; Oladepo, S. A.; Ganiyu, S. A.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P. Synthesis and Evaluation of CuO/UiO-66 Metal-Organic Frameworks as a Solid Catalyst for Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil. Mol. Catal. 2024, 564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcat.2024.114313.
- Casagrande, N.; Borghese, C.; Corona, G.; Aldinucci, D.; Altaf, M.; Sulaiman, A. A. A.; Isab, A. A.; Ahmad, S.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P. Dinuclear Gold(I) Complexes Based on Carbene and Diphosphane Ligands: Bis[2-(Dicyclohexylphosphano)Ethyl]Amine Complex Inhibits the Proteasome Activity, Decreases Stem Cell Markers and Spheroid Viability in Lung Cancer Cells. J. Biol. Inorg. Chem. 2023, 28 (8), 751–766. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00775-023-02025-x.
- Naaz, S.; Chatterjee, T.; Shaikh, K.; Dutta, B.; Raza Siddiqui, M.; Wabaidur, S. M.; Maidul Islam, M.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P*; Hedayetullah Mir, M.; Mafiz Alam, S. Facile Fabrication of a Cu(II) 1D Zig–zag Coordination Polymer Demonstrating Affinity toward DNA Molecules. Polyhedron 2023, 246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2023.116685.
- Barman, S.; Garcia, N.; Jaseer, E. A.; Elanany, M.; Khawaji, M.; Alasiri, H.; Peedikakkal, A. M. P.; Akhtar, M. N.; Theravalappil, R. Unveiling Meta-Alkyloxy/-Silyloxy-Substituted N-Aryl PNP Ligands for Efficient Cr-Catalyzed Ethylene Tetramerization. ACS Omega 2023, 8 (29), 26437–26443. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c03029
Dr. Zahid works on the development of MOF-based heterogeneous catalysts, focusing on structure–activity relationships and catalytic performance for sustainable chemical transformations.
Dr. Muhammad Zahid
Postdoc Fellow
Dr. Rohan is engaged in the design, synthesis, and catalytic evaluation of metal–organic frameworks for heterogeneous catalysis and energy-related applications.
Dr. Rohan Singh Pal
Postdoc Fellow
Shakeeba is exploring on the design and development of MOF-based materials for optoelectronic and luminescent applications.
Shakeeba Cholikadam
PhD Student
Heba is engaged in the design and synthesis of bimetallic MOFs for diverse applications.
Heba Ghannam
PhD Student
Nouf is engaged in the design and development of MOF–polymer composite materials for energy storage and supercapacitors.
Nouf Al-Shaikh
PhD Student
Kamran research focuses on mixed-metal/mixed-ligand MOFs for energy and environmental applications.
Mohd Kamran Khan
PhD Student
Nabilah is engaged in mechanochemical synthesis of MOFs for catalytic applications.
Fatayatun Nabilah
MS Student
| Undergraduate Course Taught |
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• CHEM 101: General Chemistry I (Lectures, Recitations, and Laboratory). • CHEM 102: General Chemistry I (Recitations, and Laboratory). • CHEM 111: Basics: Environmental Chemistry • CHEM 201: Organic Chemistry I (Laboratory). • CHEM 331: Inorganic Chemistry (Lectures, and Laboratory). • CHEM 332: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry • CHEM 337: Inorganic Synthesis & Characterization Lab |
| Graduate Course Taught |
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• CHEM 502: Chemistry of Coordination Compounds • CHEM 520: Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry • CHEM 521: Advanced Chemistry of Coordination Compounds • CHEM 591: Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry |