Prof. Pradip Kumar Chakraborty

Assistant Professor




Profile


Personal Website
pradipc@chem.iitkgp.ac.in
9748967619(office)
Department of Chemistry, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur - 721302, West Bengal, India

Education


Ph.D. (2013): Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Geneva, Switzerland

Master of Science (M.S.) (2007): Chemical Science Division, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) (2004): RKM Vidyamandira, Belur Math, Howrah, India (Affiliated to University of Calcutta)


Experience


  • Assistant Professor (2018- present): Department of Chemistry, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
  • Senior Researcher (2017 –?2018): Condensed Matter and Interfaces group, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Netherlands
  • Research Collaborator (2016 – 2017): School of Chemistry, University of Geneva, Switzerland
  • Swiss National Science Foundation (Early and Advanced) Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2013 – 2016): Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, USA


Research Statement


Research Theme:

Stimuli-responsive structure-function correlations and multifunctionality in electronically and magnetically switchable and Lanthanide-based luminescent Materials

Research Summary:

Our research primarily targets the development and physical properties of the transition metal-based inorganic molecular materials with switchable electronic and magnetic functionalities and lanthanide-based luminescent materials that give rise to suitable photophysical, photochemical, chemical, electronic, magnetic, and magneto-optical properties and their structure-property correlation. Incorporating functionality in inorganic materials is an essential focus of research and is capable of exhibiting diverse physical responses when subjected to various external conditions and has become very topical concerning technological applications, for instance, in displays, memories, switches, spintronics, magneto-optics, thermometry, storage, and sensors.

Our research aims to develop and exploit this exciting frontier of functional materials in different forms of structure and dimensions. The following research directions have been undertaken in our group:

(a) Probing stimuli-responsive molecular and nanoscale spin state switching

(b) Stimuli-responsive switchable functional networks

(c) Hybrid switchable materials involving magnetic and/or luminescent functionalities

(d) Electronically switchable functional nanoscale/hybrid nanoscale materials for biomedical, photonic, and electronic device application

(e) Luminescent lanthanide-based persistent phosphor and up/down conversion materials for photonic and electronic device application

Our research heavily involves the synthesis, design, and physical characterizations of inorganic materials. We are mainly focused on synthesis in combination with structural, magnetic, and spectroscopic measurements to investigate the physical property (or functionality) of particular interest. However, the synthesis often requires novelty, leading to new insights into fundamentally interesting and technologically useful properties. We use various spectroscopic, structural, and microstructural techniques to explore the physical properties of the synthesized materials. Our techniques include temperature-dependent static and time-resolved optical absorption and luminescence, temperature-dependent magnetic response and photo-magnetism, single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction and photo-crystallography, Transmission Electron Microscopy in combination with Energy-dispersive X-ray, spin-coating, and drop-casting. In collaboration, these studies are further integrated with theoretical modeling and electronic structure analysis to understand the mechanistic insights of the switching phenomenon. The combination of novel synthesis and state-of-the-art characterization offers an exclusive opportunity to discover, develop, and ultimately harness the properties of functional materials.


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Research Area



1) Physical Inorganic Chemistry involving functional inorganic materials
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Our research primarily targets the development and physical properties of the transition metal based inorganic molecular materials with switchable electronic structures that give rise to suitable photophysical, photochemical, chemical, electronic, magnetic and magneto-optical properties and their structure-property correlation. Incorporating functionality in inorganic molecular materials is an important focus of research and is capable of exhibiting diverse physical responses when subjected to various external conditions and has become very topical with regard to technological applications, for instance in displays, memories, switches, spintronics, magneto-optics, thermometry, storage and sensors (such as photonic sensors, which require thermo/piezo/vapo/solvato- chromic properties).

Our research aim to develop and exploit this exciting frontier of functional molecular materials in different forms of structure and dimensions. The following research directions would be undertaken in the group: (a) Probing the molecular and nanoscale spin state switching, (b) Switchable functional networks, (c) Hybrid switchable materials involving magnetic, conducting and/or luminescent functionalities, (d) Luminescent Materials involving lanthanides for persistent phosphor, LEDs and solar energy conversion applications. Our research heavily involves synthesis, design and physical characterizations of inorganic molecular materials. We are particularly focused on synthesizing new molecule-based switchable inorganic compounds in various forms in combination with structural and spectroscopic measurements to investigate the physical property (or functionality) of particular interest. However, the synthesis itself often requires novelty and essentially leads to new insights of fundamentally interesting and technologically useful properties. We use a wide variety of spectroscopic, structural and microstructural techniques to explore the physical properties of the switchable molecular materials. Our techniques include temperature dependent static and time- resolved optical absorption and luminescence, temperature dependent magnetic response and photo- magnetism, single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction and photo- crystallography, Transmission Electron Microscopy in combination with Energy-dispersive X-ray, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, Spin-coating, drop-casting and dip-coating (or constructive lithography) and photoconductivity. These studies are further integrated with theoretical modeling and electronic structure analysis to understand the mechanistic insights of the switching phenomenon. In addition, EPR, Mo?ssbauer spectroscopy and temperature dependent Raman Spectroscopy are used. The combination of novel synthesis and state-of-the-art spectroscopies offers the powerful opportunity to discover, develop, and ultimately harness the physical properties of functional molecular materials.


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