RANIT BANERJEE

 

Research interests

 

Biomolecules which are essential for different life-processes are naturally formed by self-assembly of simple molecular precursors. Inspired by nature, chemists have designed artificial supramolecules by utilizing π-π, H-bonding interactions, etc. which helps to study and mimic biomolecules. Among the various approaches, coordination-driven self-assembly of ligands & acceptors to obtain predictable 2D/3D architectures stands out because of its advantages over the other approaches.

The cavities of these supramolecular architectures are suitable for host-guest chemistry studies. The field has grown immensely over the last decade and these confined spaces have been used for carrying out reactions in chemo-selective, regioselective & enantioselective fashion, separation of isomers, stabilization of reactive intermediates, etc. These applications are dependent  on the host-guest interactions and most fascinating fact is that these interactions can be easily modulated by modifying the structure & functionalities of the building blocks which widens the scope for research in this field. The aim of my research is to synthesize fascinating supramolecular architectures & study the chemistry in confined spaces to simplify organic synthesis and also develop other applications.

Fullerenes are well known for their excellent physiochemical properties and used in solar cells, dyads, etc. Also, these are used for photodynamic therapy because of their singlet oxygen generating ability. However, applications are limited due to their poor solubility & poor regioselectivity which makes functionalization difficult. Supramolecular cages can stabilize fullerenes or its derivatives and thus can provide a solution. My current focus is on developing molecular barrels/cages which can stabilize fullerenes or its derivatives and thereby simplifying purification & functionalization techniques.

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