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Dr. Rajan Kumar
(Ph.D., DST-IFF, FMASS, FMERU & FMERC)

Dr. Kumar is an experienced Faculty Fellow with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry, skilled in Polymer Chemistry, Click Chemistry, and Supramolecular Chemistry. Dr. Kumar is a strong Education and Research professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused in Click Polymerization and Environmental Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science Education & Research Kolkata (IISER Kolkata). Dr. Kumar worked as Research Associate at IISER Kolkata (2020-2021). Dr. Kumar served as an Assistant Professor at Assam Royal Global University (2021-2023).  Dr. Kumar is serving as DST INSPIRE Faculty Fellow (DST-IFF) at IIT Guwahati (2023 onwards). Dr. Kumar has also qualified NET and SLET. Dr. Kumar is fellow member of Assam Science Society (FMASS) and Eudoxia Research Center/University (FMERC & FMERCU).

 

Research

The core research is Polymer synthesis via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP),  ring-opening polymerization (ROP), and Click polymerization​ for applications such as purifiers, sensors, nano-carriers, and optical devices.

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Experience

2023-                INSPIRE Faculty Fellow (IFF)

2021-23            Assistant Professor, The Assam Royal Global University (ARGU), Guwahati, Assam

2020-21            Research Associate, IISER Kolkata, West Bengal

2020-21            Guest Lecturer, B.Borooah College, Ulubari, Assam 

2015                 Project Assistant, Indian Association for Cultivation of Science (IACS), West Bengal 

2014                 Project Assistant, Gauhati University (GU), Guwahati, Assam

Education

2015-2021

Ph.D.
IISER Kolkata

2012-2014

M.Sc.
Gauhati University

2009-2012

B.Sc.
Gauhati University

Specialization: Polymer Chemistry

Thesis Title: Design, Synthesis and Application Demonstration of 3D Crosslinked Polymer Network

Specialization: Organic Chemistry

Thesis Title: Effect of β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) Complexation on the Fluorescence Emission Characteristics of Water-Soluble  Naphthalimide Derivatives.

Specialization: Chemistry

1st class 1st with Distinction

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Awards/Honors

2023    Selected for oral presentation on "Efficient Optically Tunable Photoluminescent Polymeric Membrane" at SPSI-MACRO-2023

2023    Invitation to deliver a lecture in the "Symposium on Polymer Science 2023" at IISER Kolkata  organized by the Society for Polymer Science,              India (SPSI)

2023    Selected for INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship by DST-INSPIRE, India

2022    Invitation for presentation on "Engineering Polymer Self Assembly Shows Potential for Myriad Applications" 

            ARGU & ICT, Mumbai

2022    Invitation for Seminar on "Polymer for Waste Management", Polymer Research Center, IISER Kolkata

2020    Best Poster Presentation (SSD-2020)

2018    Best Performing Scholar of the Year 2018 (DCS IISER KOLKATA)​

2018    Swach Bharat Award (3rd prize)

2018    Senior Research Fellow (SRF)

2015    Junior Research Fellow (JRF)

2015    SLET/SET for Lectureship (Rank 7)

2014    NET- LS (Rank 44) organized jointly by CSIR-UGC

2013    Summer Research Fellowship, 2012-2013, awarded by INSA, India

2012    National UGC Fellowship for post-graduation, 2012-2014

2012    Co-Editor of Departmental half-yearly magazine “The Chemical Axis”

2012    1st class 1st with Distinction (UG)

2007    Anandaram Barooah Award​

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Publications (* represents corresponding author)

2024

25. N. Kumar, N. Ghosh,  R. Kumar*. Polarization  Probing and Fluorescence Tuning for PAH embedded Photoluminescent Material, 2024 (submitted)

24. R. Kumar*, P. Kumar, N. Lakshminarasimhan, R. Shunmugam. Urea Functionalized Crosslinked Polymer showing Efficient Response to Organo-Amphiphilic Waste, 2024. (submitted)

23. P. Sarmah*, A. Haque, A. Mondal,  R. Kumar*. DFT Investigation of Functional Polymer Interaction with Chiral/achiral Pharmaceutical Metabolites. 2024 (under review)

22. R. Kumar, D. Sahu. Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials Based Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Properties and Applications, Chapter 3: Spectroscopic and Microscopic Investigations of Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials.  John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2024, 115-166.

2023 â€‹

21. R. Kumar*, E. Davis, N. Kalita, D. Choudhury, R. Shunmugam*. 4-Vinylpyridine Derived Physically Crosslinked Hydrogel as Efficient Mercury Indicator. Polymer Engineering & Science, 2023 (doi: 10.1002/pen.26512) (IF: 3.2)

20. R. Kumar*,  N. Kumar,  S. Chandel, A. Tiwari, A. Bag, P. K. Ghorai, N. Ghosh*, R. Shunmugam*. Functional Polymer Material with Efficient Optical Tunability. ChemistrySelect, 2023 (IF: 2.1)

​19. R. Kumar*,  N. Kumar, S. Chandel, A. Tiwari, N. Ghosh*, R. Shunmugam*. Optically Tunable Engineered Macromolecular Fluorescent Material Analyzed using Optical Parameters.  Polymers for Advanced Technologies, 2023, 34, 1307-1314. (IF: 3.4)

2022

18. R. Kumar*, P. Kumar, S. Panigrahi, N. Lakshminarasimhan, R. Shunmugam. Efficient removal of rhodamine B and methylene blue from water using polyurethane based porous material. Polymer  Engineering & Science (PES), 2022, 62, 4082-4089. (IF: 3.2)

17. R. Kumar, R. Dey, T. Kalita, S. Pariyal, B. S. Goswami, J. Haldar, R. Shunmugam. Engineering Unique Multi-tasking Polymer that Specifically Prevents Rhodamine B, Fluoride Ion, and Anti-bacterial Toxicity. European Polymer Journal, 2022, 176, 111401 (Invited Article) (IF: 6.0)

16. R. Kumar, E. Davis, P. Mazumdar, D. Choudhury, R. Shunmugam. Engineering Spherically Super-Structured Polyamides for the Sustainable Water Remediation. ACS Mater. Au 2022, 2, 2, 117–123. (IF: 5.7)

 2021​

15. P. Kumar, M. N. Ganivada, P. Kanjilal, R. Kumar*, R. Shunmugam*. An Efficient Clicked Degradable Template Model Responsive to Encapsulation and Release of Fluorescent Dye. Journal of Molecular and Engineering Materials (JMEM), 2021, 9, 2 & 3, 2140003 (IF: 1.5)

14. P. Venu, T-N Le, P. Kumar, D. Patra, R. Kumar, C-K Lee, V. Rao, R. Shunmugam. Efficient Design to Monitor the Site-specific Sustained Release of Non-Emissive Anti-Cancer Drug. Chemistry An Asian Journal, 2021, 16, 2552-2558. (IF: 4.568)

13. P.Venu, R. Kumar, R. John, R. Shunmugam. Designing amphiphilic branched polymers for supramolecular self-assembly. Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part A: Pure and Applied Chemistry, 2021, 58, 594-599. (IF: 2.1)​

12. R. Kumar. Advanced Topics in Chemistry (Volume 1), 2021. ISBN: 978-93-91403-16-4, Chapter 3: Recent Advances in Engineering Crosslinked Polymeric Material and their Utility as Water Remediator.

During PhD

2020

11. R. Kumar, S. Mukherjee, N. Lakshminarasimhan, R. Shunmugam. Unique Methodology to Grow Magnetizable Cobalt Domains via Photon triggered Thiolation. European Polymer Journal, 2020, 140, 110022. (IF: 6.0)

10. S. S. Prasath, J. Brijitta, R. Kumar, J. John, P. Holmqvist, R. Shunmugam, Chemically crosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-block-4-vinylpyridine) organogel with myriad applications. Materials Letters, 2020, 272, 127854. (IF: 3.0)

9. R. Kumar, R. Shunmugam. An overview on recent advances to wastewater management using polymer magnetic composites. The Chemical Axis. 2020 (ISSN 2249 8842), 19, 1-4.

8. R. Kumar, A. Rajpoot, A. Roy, R. Shunmugam. Engineering Biodegradable Polymeric Network for the Efficient Removal of Organo-amphiphilic Toxicants. Polym. Adv. Technol, 2020, 31, 957-966.​ (IF: 3.4)

2019​

7. R. Kumar, S. K. Ray, S. Mukherjee, S. Saha, A. Bag, P. K. Ghorai, N. Ghosh, R. Shunmugam. "Dial-In” Emission from Unique Flexible Material with Polarization Tuneable Spectral Intensity. Chem. Eur. J. 2019, 25, 13514 -13522. (Accepted for frontispiece) (IF: 5.236)

6. R. Kumar, R. Shunmugam. Light Triggering Photocatalysis to Water Detoxification. The Chemical Axis (ISSN 2249 8842), 2019, 18 (2), 25-27.

2018

​5. R. Kumar, R. Shunmugam. Toxicity Monitorable Polymeric Materials for Chronic Elements in Aqueous Environment. The Chemical Axis (ISSN 2249 8842), 2018, 17(2), 35-37.

4. R. Kumar, R. Shunmugam. Uprise in Photochemistry towards Global Application. The Chemical Axis (ISSN 2249 8842), 2018, 17(1), 70-73.

 2017

​3. R. Kumar, R. Shunmugam. Unique Design of Porous Organic Framework Showing Efficiency Towards Removal of Toxicants. ACS Omega, 2017, 2, 4100-4107. (IF: 3.512)​

2. M. Mukherjee, S. Mukherjee, R. Kumar, R. Shunmugam. Improved thermal and mechanical properties of polynorbornene upon covalent attachment with graphene sheets. Polymer, 2017, 123, 321-333. (IF: 4.430)

2014​

1. D. Basak, R. Kumar, S. Ghosh. Telechelic Poly(disulfide)s and Related Block Copolymers. Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2014, 35, 1340-1344. (      appeared as back cover). (IF: 5.734)

Patent

​1. S. Pariyal, R. Kumar, T. Samanta, P. Kumar, R. Shunmugam. As Sensor and trapper, TEMP/E-1/46586/2018-KOL (2019) (Indian Patent)

 

 

 

 

Collaboration

  • IISER Kolkata/ B. Borooah College

Alumni

  • Bhargav Sarma (2023)                              Preparation of Activated Charcoal from Jute and Its Application in Waste Management

  • Lalrochana Chawmgthu (2023)                Sugarcane Derived Activated Charcoal for the Treatment of Wastewater

  • Gajiur Rahman (2023)                               Betel Nut Derived Activated Charcoal for Treatment of Wastewater

  • Shrutimala Pathak (2023)                          Engineering of Crosslinked Polymeric Material and Their Application in Organic Waste Management

  • Prity Bhuyan (2023)                                  Synthesis and Characterization of Crosslinked Degradable Poly(alcohol) via Free Radical                                                                                           Polymerization

  • Shweta Sen (2022)                                     Materials Derived from Natural Resources for Management of Amphiphilic Wastes

  • Almina Khatun (2022)                               Betel Nut Derived Resources for Management of Amphiphilic Waste

  • Janardan Phukan (2022)                             Engineering Polymeric Material for Adsorption of Synthetic Dye from Dye-Treated Waste

  • Taslima Khatun (2022)                               Sugarcane Charcoal- An Efficient Adsorbent for the Amphiphilic Organic Dyes

  • Shashanka Saikia (2022)                            Analysis of Water Quality Parameter from Flood Affected Ponds and Rivers of Guwahati Region

  • Jerina N. Lasman (2022)                            Tomato Powder- A Tool for Management of Organic Dye

  • Nishan Paul (2022)                                     Self-Assembly- A Driving Force to Property Tunability of Material 

  • Latifa Khatun (2022)                                  Self Assembly of Fluorescent Monomer and Ionic Polymer Embedded in a Polystyrene Film

  • Ibakorlang Lapasam (2021)                        Estimation of Essential Parameters for Aquatic Ecosystem

  • Nuruj Zaman (2021)                                   Determination & Characterization  of Caffeine in Tea Powder of  Different Brands Found in the                                                                                   Market by UV-Visible Spectrometer 

  • Sohaib Islam (2021)                                    Determination & Characterization  of Caffeine in Tea Powder in Different Solvents by UV-Visible                                                                             Spectrometer

News

  • Shrutimala Pathak and Prity Bhuyan are selected for the six-month Student Project Fellowship, 2022. Congrats to both of you!

 

"Interested Students can communicate for possible opportunities."

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