Environmental Chemistry Research Group
I earned my Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur under Prof. V. Chandrasekhar. Following my doctoral studies, I gained post-doctoral experience at the University of Alabama, USA, mentored by Prof. T. P. Vaid, and worked at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, under Prof. Dr. Matthias Wagner, with support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
In November 2012, I joined the Department of Chemistry at Presidency University in Kolkata as an assistant professor and became an Associate Professor in May 2025. My research group focuses on Environmental Chemistry, specifically developing new water remediation techniques to address global water quality issues. We also work in inorganic catalysis and main group organometallic chemistry, exploring new copper-based heterogeneous catalysts for C-N Coupling reactions (Chan-Lam), aiming to promote sustainable practices and eco-friendly solutions in chemistry.
Ph.D. (July 2003 – November 2008) Indian Institute of Technology - Kanpur, Kanpur, India.
M.Phil. (July 2001 – November 2002) Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India.
M.Sc. (July 1999 – April 2001) Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College affiliated to University of Madras, Chennai, India.
B.Sc. (July 1996 – April 1999) Government Thirumagal Mills College affiliated to University of Madras, Gudiayattam, India.
Broad Area of Research
Environmental Chemistry (Water Remediation), Catalysis, and Inorganic Chemistry
Ongoing Research Work
Water Remediation
Our research group is dedicated to water remediation, focusing on the removal of pollutants through adsorption techniques. We utilize surface-tweaked mixed metal oxides to effectively eliminate contaminants from water. Our work involves the synthesis and characterization of these metal oxides, along with investigations into the reduction of pollutants through kinetic and isotherm studies. Additionally, we are committed to regenerating the materials and evaluating our methods for practical, real-world applications.
Catalysis (Chan-Evans-Lam Coupling)
Organic compounds containing carbon-nitrogen (C-N) bonds are prevalent in pharmaceuticals and organic materials. Although numerous methods exist for synthesizing these compounds, many employ harsh conditions or costly catalysts. We are exploring the use of copper-based treated mixed metal oxides as environmentally friendly catalysts for C-N coupling reactions.
Past Research Experiences
Phosphonate and Phosphate
During my doctoral research, I synthesized novel phosphonic acids and phosphate ligands, investigating their interactions with various metal ions and organotin precursors. We characterized the resulting metal aggregates structurally and through spectroscopy, demonstrating their efficacy as single molecular precursors for materials. Notably, cerium phosphonates were employed as catalysts in the production of valuable functionalized dihydropyrimidines via a three-component Biginelli reaction, with all dinuclear metal aggregates functioning as artificial nucleases.
Organoborane
In my post-doctoral research, I synthesized a range of donor-acceptor and donor-pi-acceptor molecules using diarylamine (a Lewis base) as the donor and diaryl borane (a Lewis acid) as the acceptor. These molecules were characterized structurally and spectroscopically and exhibited intriguing optoelectronic properties in both solution and solid states.
- Post Graduate: CHEM 0702: Chemistry of elements; special features
- Post Graduate: CHEM 0802: Organometallic Chemistry
- Under Graduate: CHEM 0602: Organometallic Chemistry
- Post Graduate: CHEM 11001B: Spectroscopy - Applications to Inorganic Systems
- Under Graduate: CHEM01C1: Periodicity of Elements
- Under Graduate: CHEM03C5: General Principles of Metallurgy, Acids and Bases
- Under Graduate: Course CHT-6: Chemistry of S- and P-block elements
- Under Graduate: Course CED-5: Comparative study of P-block elements
- Under Graduate: Course CED-2: Inorganic Practical – 1 Qualitative analysis
- Under Graduate: Course CED-5: Inorganic Practical – 2 Quantitative analysis
Ph.D. Scholars
Dr. Kankan Mukhopadhyay, DST Woman Scientist, (Completed 2020)
Efficacy Appraisal of Synthetic Bimetallic Nano aggregates for Fluoride Removal from Drinking Water through Batch and Fixed Bed Column Operation Technology
Present Position: Senior Research Fellow at WB Pollution Control Board, Kolkata.
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Dr. Sarat Kanrar, Senior Research Fellow (UGC), (Completed 2023)
Synthesis Characterisation of Mixed Metal Oxide Based Inorganic Materials and It s Application Towards the Removal of Fluoride and Heavy Metals From Contaminated Water
Present Position: Officer in Central Chemical Laboratory, Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Ltd. Govt. of India Undertaking Firm (PSU), Mumbai.
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Dr. Ayan Ghosh, Senior Research Fellow (UGC), (Completed 2025)
Cerium Incorporated Copper Oxide and It s Surface Modification with Biopolymers Synthesis Insight Characterizations and Surface Activity Studies Towards the Extraction of Chromium VI and Arsenic III from Their Contaminated Aqueous Phases
Present Position:
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M.Sc., Students
Pratip Kumar Dutta (2013)
Biswarup Paul (2014)
Anwesa Debnath (2014)
Souvik Maity (2015)
Arpan Mondal (2015)
Soumyasree Datta (2016)
Samrat Mukherjee (2017)
Archita Das (2017)
Patibrata Bhattacharya (2017)
Munmun Mondal (2018)
Wasefa Begum (2019)
Deblina Dhar (2019)
Sangita Shyamal (2020)
Mahuya Adak (2020)
Srikanta Chowdhury (2020)
Arkamita Das (2021)
Saheli Nasrin (2021)
Soumita Samajdar (2021)
Kumaresh Dey (2022)
Sayan Das (2022)
Sumana Mondal (2023)
Shreyashi Roy (2024)
Debalina Chanda (2024)
Debasree Banik (2025)
Tanaya Dey (2025)
Suvradeep Das (2026)
Rupam Goswami (2026)
Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship 2010, Germany
Presidency University Students Corner