SOFT MATTER RESEARCH GROUP (SMRG)

 
 
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY IS A WONDERFUL TOOL THROUGH WHICH WE CAN REALIZE THE DIFFERENT REALMS OF SUPRAMOLECULAR SELF-ASSEMBLY AND FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS. HERE IN SMRG THE RESEARCH INVOLVES MOLECULAR ENGINEERING OF DIFFERENT SUPRAMOLECULAR SELF-ASSEMBLIES IN OUR QUEST FOR THE FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS. LIQUID CRYSTALS (LCs), ARE ONE SUCH SELF-ASSEMBLIES THAT ARE UBIQUITOUS IN NATURE AND ALSO REVOLUTIONIZED THE MODERN LIFE IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY. LC SELF-ASSEMBLY OFTEN UNRAVELED THE MYSTERIES OF COMPLEX NATURAL SYSTEMS AND ALSO BEACONED THE DISCOVERIES WHICH BENEFITED THE MANKIND. WE WORK ON THE SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATIONS OF ALL TYPES (CONVENTIONAL AND NONCONVENTIONAL) OF LCs. LCs BEING ORDERED FLUIDS CAN FIND APPLICATIONS AS VERSATILE CHIRAL REACTION MEDIA/CHIRAL SEPARATORS. LC PHASES CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOLECULAR ELECTRONIC DEVICES SUCH AS OLEDs, PHOTOVOLTAICS AND FETs. IN THIS DIRECTION WE WILL BE EXPLORING VARIOUS MULTIFUNCTIONAL MACROMOLECULES, OLIGOMERS AND POLYMERS. WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON ORGANOGELS WHICH EXHIBIT ENHANCED EMISSION IN GEL STATE. PHOTOPATTERNABLE SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS (SAMs) ARE ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH AREA THROUGH WHICH WE CAN ENGINEER THE SURFACES THAT PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, CATALYSIS, ELECTRONICS, MOLECULAR RECOGNITION AND NANO-TECHNOLOGY RELATED FIELDS. WE ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN SUPPORTED LIPID BILAYERS AS THEY CAN MIMIC BIOMEMBRANE AND HENCE VITAL TO THE ADVANCES IN BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICINAL FIELDS. ENTHUSIASTIC, CREATIVE AND SELF-MOTIVATED CANDIDATES WHO WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ARE ALWAYS WELCOME FOR THE PhD AND POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS PhD VACANCIES FOR CSIR QUALIFIED CANDIDATES ARE AVAILABLE, CONTACT WITH YOUR CV

Molecules to Materials…....Journey through self-assembly route

Discotic LC

Col Phase

OLEDs

Gas sensors

OPVs

OFETs