About my Research
My work is on the synthesis, characterization and properties studies of atomically precise, monolayer -protected silver clusters. I have developed a number of different synthetic strategies to produce novel thiol-protected ultra small silver clusters of size less than 2nm. These ultra small clusters are also called nanocluster molecules, quantum clusters (QCs).
Some of the highlights of my work are the development of several wet chemical methods such as the interfacial etching route, the solid-state route, the galvanic exchange method, the sunlight mediated synthesis, the high temperature-mediated synthesis, the slow reduction process and the gel-based synthesis. All of these methodologies produced new clusters which were characterized by a series of tools. They exhibited several properties, particularly, intense luminescence. I had used diverse characterization tools such as UV-vis, fluorescence, infrared, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies and imaging techniques such as TEM, SEM and EDAX. For characterization of my clusters I have used electrospray ionization and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry extensively.
Education
2/2019- Present Professor at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu,China.
11/2017 - 1/2019 Established Marie curie Researcher with Dr.Yury Kolen´ko, International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory,Braga, Portugal.
05/2017 - 10/2017 Intern with Prof.Dan Oron, Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Physics of Complex Systems,Rehovot, Israel.
01/2016 - 05/2017 Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof.Dan Oron, Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Physics of Complex Systems,Rehovot, Israel.
06/2013 – 12/2015 Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Rafal Klajn, Weizmann Institute of Science,Department of Organic Chemistry, Rehovot, Israel.
07/2006 – 05/2013 Doctoral studies with Prof. T. Pradeep, Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
Dissertation title: Luminescent Quantum clusters of Silver and their Variants.
06/2004 – 05/2006 Master of Science in Chemistry, Andhra University Campus,
Andhra Pradesh, India.
Awards
1) The best Ph.D. thesis award in Physical & Theoretical Chemistry (Langmuir Prize) for the year of 2013.
2) Best poster award in the 2nd Chennai Chemistry Conference, Chennai, 2013.
3) Malhotra Weikfield Foundation Nanoscience Fellowship award for the year 2011 in the 4th Bangalore INDIA NANO Awards.
4) Second best poster award in the 4th Bangalore Nano conference, Bangalore, 2011.
5) Best poster award in the International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mumbai, 2010.
6) Invention award based on the work titled as “Synthesis of quantum clusters in molecular confinement-Rapid and scalable method”.
7) Secured 94.5 percentile in the prestigious national level Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2006.
8) Secured 17th rank in the prestigious state level Andhra University Common Entrance Test (AUCET) -2004.
Teaching
Teaching assistant in practical courses at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (chemistry for safety engineers, fundamental chemistry, basic physical chemistry, basic inorganic chemistry).
Invited talk
The “Nano” that changing the world. Maheswara Institute of technology, Hyderabad, 26th February, 2013.
Conferences
1) Poster presented at the "Nanoparticles at the Interface between Biology and the Materials world,“ July 5-6, 2015, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel.
2) Poster presented at the Gordon Research Conference, June 07-12, 2015, Stonehill college, MA, USA.
3) Poster presented at Nanotechnology from Academia to Industry, April 9, 2015, Holon Institute of Technology, Israel.
4) Poster presented at the department of organic chemistry, Weizmann institute of science, scientific retreat. April 9–10, 2011, Tiberius, Israel.
5) Poster presented at the Israel society of microscopy, May 13-14, 2014, Rehovot, Israel.
6) Poster presented at the Israel-Greece Joint Meeting on Nanotechnology & Bio nanotechnology, October 20-23 2014, Rehovot, Israel.
7) Oral presentation on Nanocrystals self-assembly at the Israel-Greece Joint Meeting October 20-23 2014, Rehovot, Israel.
8) Poster presented at the Chennai Chemistry Conference, February 8–10, 2013, Chennai, India.
9) Poster presented at the International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology (ICONSAT), January 23, 2012,Hyderabad, India.
10) Poster presented at the 4th Bangalore Nano-conference, December 8–9, 2011, Bangalore, India.
Some of the highlights of my work are the development of several wet chemical methods such as the interfacial etching route, the solid-state route, the galvanic exchange method, the sunlight mediated synthesis, the high temperature-mediated synthesis, the slow reduction process and the gel-based synthesis. All of these methodologies produced new clusters which were characterized by a series of tools. They exhibited several properties, particularly, intense luminescence. I had used diverse characterization tools such as UV-vis, fluorescence, infrared, Raman, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies and imaging techniques such as TEM, SEM and EDAX. For characterization of my clusters I have used electrospray ionization and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry extensively.
Education
2/2019- Present Professor at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu,China.
11/2017 - 1/2019 Established Marie curie Researcher with Dr.Yury Kolen´ko, International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory,Braga, Portugal.
05/2017 - 10/2017 Intern with Prof.Dan Oron, Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Physics of Complex Systems,Rehovot, Israel.
01/2016 - 05/2017 Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof.Dan Oron, Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Physics of Complex Systems,Rehovot, Israel.
06/2013 – 12/2015 Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Rafal Klajn, Weizmann Institute of Science,Department of Organic Chemistry, Rehovot, Israel.
07/2006 – 05/2013 Doctoral studies with Prof. T. Pradeep, Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
Dissertation title: Luminescent Quantum clusters of Silver and their Variants.
06/2004 – 05/2006 Master of Science in Chemistry, Andhra University Campus,
Andhra Pradesh, India.
Awards
1) The best Ph.D. thesis award in Physical & Theoretical Chemistry (Langmuir Prize) for the year of 2013.
2) Best poster award in the 2nd Chennai Chemistry Conference, Chennai, 2013.
3) Malhotra Weikfield Foundation Nanoscience Fellowship award for the year 2011 in the 4th Bangalore INDIA NANO Awards.
4) Second best poster award in the 4th Bangalore Nano conference, Bangalore, 2011.
5) Best poster award in the International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mumbai, 2010.
6) Invention award based on the work titled as “Synthesis of quantum clusters in molecular confinement-Rapid and scalable method”.
7) Secured 94.5 percentile in the prestigious national level Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2006.
8) Secured 17th rank in the prestigious state level Andhra University Common Entrance Test (AUCET) -2004.
Teaching
Teaching assistant in practical courses at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (chemistry for safety engineers, fundamental chemistry, basic physical chemistry, basic inorganic chemistry).
Invited talk
The “Nano” that changing the world. Maheswara Institute of technology, Hyderabad, 26th February, 2013.
Conferences
1) Poster presented at the "Nanoparticles at the Interface between Biology and the Materials world,“ July 5-6, 2015, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel.
2) Poster presented at the Gordon Research Conference, June 07-12, 2015, Stonehill college, MA, USA.
3) Poster presented at Nanotechnology from Academia to Industry, April 9, 2015, Holon Institute of Technology, Israel.
4) Poster presented at the department of organic chemistry, Weizmann institute of science, scientific retreat. April 9–10, 2011, Tiberius, Israel.
5) Poster presented at the Israel society of microscopy, May 13-14, 2014, Rehovot, Israel.
6) Poster presented at the Israel-Greece Joint Meeting on Nanotechnology & Bio nanotechnology, October 20-23 2014, Rehovot, Israel.
7) Oral presentation on Nanocrystals self-assembly at the Israel-Greece Joint Meeting October 20-23 2014, Rehovot, Israel.
8) Poster presented at the Chennai Chemistry Conference, February 8–10, 2013, Chennai, India.
9) Poster presented at the International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology (ICONSAT), January 23, 2012,Hyderabad, India.
10) Poster presented at the 4th Bangalore Nano-conference, December 8–9, 2011, Bangalore, India.
