About me
I joined IISER Berhampur as a Visiting Professor on 5th. August 2024. Have been a Professor in the Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras since 2006 after joining the institution in 1992. Completed schooling, college, doctoral and post-doctoral studies from Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Juelich, Ithaca and Mainz and came a full circle, back to my Motherland @Chennai. Growing on one’s own soil @IIT Madras gave a magical touch and Life as such was traced to its roots and became a revelation and proved better than yesterday's tomorrow.
Biography
It was a summer afternoon at Cornell University: Prof. Carl Sagan had just finished his address to the community on ‘Galileo’: NASA’s space mission to planet Jupiter. I, as a research associate working with him was overwhelmed with his wit and wisdom. Following what happened, had further traced my academic career. An accidental meet with an aspiring Masters student of Computer Science at Cornell University, who hailed from IIT Madras, germinated in me a deep desire to be a part of this marvelous institution. Thus began the journey to IIT Madras which was not by design; joined in 1992 after obtaining a Ph. D degree from Banaras Hindu University, an Alexander von Humboldt fellowship, a NASA fellowship and a Max-Planck fellowship. Subsequent fellowships on behalf of TWAS, JSPS and Fulbright – Nehru were endowed during the faculty tenure at IIT Madras, reaching Professor (HAG). Growing on one’s own soil gave a magical touch. Teaching B.Techs had transformed the persona; meeting and exchanging with the budding aspiring beings was hard work, but a perpetual joy and constant learning; in the process, got hard-wired to seek confirmation. Met excellent teachers and colleagues who inculcated the impression that ‘ice can be broken’ and days could certainly be better than ‘yesterday’s tomorrow’. It was imperative to Do Good Science and Be a Good Scientist. Initially, the air seemed empty; the concept-maps were many, but the vision-plans needed precision. Then one was reminded of our heritage and its scientific beginnings. A far cry and a leap… manifested two frontier laboratories with cutting edge infrastructure (https://profarchita-sail.com/labs.html) and a prudent student research community. They became a part of me, a connect, much deeper than any academic output. Good Science was to inspire an Einstein in each of them; flawless and informal deliberations with brutal honesty became our forte. Science was contagious and distributed. Our primary research interest was targeted at ‘Molecular Self-assembly and Functional Materials’, a discipline within disciplines, reflecting radical new approaches to synthesis and processing of materials at structured interfaces, enabling higher functionality structures, pattern formation and devices. "Self-assembly is Creation and Creation manifests in Self-assembly". The Fibonacci Spirals on the Sunflower depict the Geometric Blue-Print of Evolution with juxtaposition of holistic Science expressed in Nature. Through ab-initio electronic structure calculations, molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, spectro-microscopy and nanoscale electrochemistry of transport-active donor-acceptor dyads, bifunctional Janus clusters and functional amphiphiles, our group’s research culminated in bringing out a basic understanding of molecular-scale rectifiers and switches, nanoscale capacitors and structure and dynamics of stimuli-responsive, opto-electronically active, curvature controlled molecular aggregates (more at https://profarchita-sail.com/).While it was absolutely necessary to practice these, sometimes it became difficult to achieve the objective oriented goals in an almost subjective-success led science society. Even then, all was well that ended well. Some events remained etched inside: the graduation days of my research students and a declaration from ‘2013 ACS on Campus’ as one of the 30 Indian Chemists publishing quality research. The organized 2008 International Conference on Functional Materials during IIT Madras’s golden jubilee year welcomed young and old, scientists and engineers, and science and art: a holistic disposition…and the outcome was knowledge accumulation and camaraderie. Joy knew no bounds becoming the advisory board member of the journals ‘J. Chemical Science (IAS/Springer) and J. Chemical Thermodynamics (Elsevier). Am ever indebted to DST/ SERB for having elated me as an expert committee member in very many of its schemes. It has been a revelation knowing the scientific might and spirit of the Country. Realization is the goal of our efforts starting from conception to implementation. All that comes to us as efforts or struggle are not without the providence of Prayer. Let us keep in touch with the Nature: Flowers, the wordless prayers of Nature that signify a unique aspiration and vibration…The sun-kissed mornings of the ethereal campus with the bright Gulmohars constantly messaged that Life has a purpose and must blossom like a flower. Adulations to IIT Madras for providing that sanctity. Success is vital, but need not be the ultimate goal. Cultivating an open mind to a greater wideness, humble and all-sharing scientific eloquence are probably the yardsticks for cultivating Science with par excellence. As an enthusiastic member of the human race, I am looking forward with immense excitement and hope for good science to emerge for the betterment of our civilization, necessitating mutual respect … a trajectory in achieving a Career in Totality. Education: * B.Sc. (Chemistry (Hons.), Physics, Mathematics), Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar College, Bhubaneswar, Utkal University, Odisha (1978) * M.Sc. (Chemistry), Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (1981) * Ph.D. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (1986) Career and Professional Experience: * Research Associate, Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, 1986 -87 (Prof. A.K. Nigam) * Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, Forschungszentrum, Juelich, Germany, 1987 – 89 (Prof. (Dr) Kurt Roessler) (German Language Course: Grund Stuffe I and Grund Stuffe II over a period of 4 months Lessing College, Marburg, Germany) * National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Fellow, Centre for Radio Physics and Space Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA, 1989 -1990 (Prof. (Dr.) Carl Sagan) * Max-Planck Research Fellow, Max-Planck Institute for Cosmochemie, Mainz, Germany, 1991 – April 1992 (Dr. Johannes Bruekner) * Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, May 11, 1992 * Visiting Professor, Institute for Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China, July – December 1996 (On a TWAS Fellowship) * Visiting Scientist, Synchrotron Centre ‘Elettra’, Trieste, Italy, August – October 2000 * Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, 2000 * JSPS Invitation Professor, Japanese Society for Promotion of Sciences, Department of Materials Technology, Chiba University, Japan, 2002 – 2003 (Prof. (Dr.) Nobuo Ueno) * Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, April 13, 2006 * Senior Fulbright - Nehru Research Fellow, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA, June 2010 -February 2011 (Prof. Jeff Neaton and Prof. Shaowei Chen) * Adjunct Professor of Chemistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, 2011 -2012 * Professor (HAG), Indian Institute of Technology Madras, July 2013 * Invitation Professor, AvH Foundation @ University of Ulm: Germany, May 15 – August 14, 2023 Service to the Cause of Indian Chemical Science Programs: Expert Committee Member / Chairperson for Chemical Sciences since 2011- till date for various national level programs of DST / SERB [Focus: Project Review, In-Person Interview and Research Grant Sanctioning]. * DST- FIST: 2024-2026 * DST- Swarna Jayanti Fellowship Scheme: 2017 – 2020 * SERB-TARE (Teacher’s Associateship for Research Excellence): Chairperson 2021 - 2024 * SERB-SIRE: (SERB International Research Experience): 2022-2023 (Chairperson: Chemical Sciences) * SERB-Specially Invited Member to Core Research Grant Committee: Evaluates ‘conflict of interest proposals’: 2023-2026 * SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities For Women in Exploratory Research): 2023 – 2026 (Expert Committee Member) * SERB-SRS: (SERB Research Scientist) Scheme: 2022 – 2025 (Expert Committee Member) * SERB-FIRE (Fund for Industrial Research Engagement): 2021 -2024 * SERB-SUPRA: (Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement): 2022-2023 * SERB - ECR / SRG/ NPDF: (Early Career Research / Start-Up Research Grant / National Post-Doctoral Schemes): 2015 - 2021 * DST- WOS - A: Women Scientist Scheme: 2012 - 2015 * UGC: DSK PDF Scheme: Member-Expert Review Committee for Dr. D.S. Kothari Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Chemical and Physical Sciences (2008 -2020) * CSIR-Recruitment and Assessment Board: 2018 - 2021 *Institute of Eminence (IoE) Proposal Review Committee, University of Hyderabad, NPTEL and ISRO Proposal evaluations Honours and Recognitions * 1st class First in Master of Science, Banaras Hindu University * Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship * National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Fellowship * Max - Planck Research Fellowship * Third World Academy of Sciences Fellowship * Japan Society for Promotion of Sciences Fellowship * Fulbright - Nehru Fellowship * 2013 ACS highlights: American Chemical Society has highlighted Prof. Patnaik as one of the 30 Indian authors publishing high-quality research in ACS Journals: Click Here Human Resource Trained: Ph.D : 15 (completed), NPDF: 3 (completed), IPDF: 2(completed), M.Sc: 25 (completed), Summer Interns: 15 (completed) Member, Board of Studies and Research Councils: i. International Scientific Advisory Committee Member, IACIS (International Association for Colloids and Interfaces Society) ii. School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad: 2022 – 2025 iii. Pondicherry University: 2017-2019 iV. CSIR – Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai (2023 -2026) Editorial Advisory Board Membership: 2018 - 2023: J. Chemical Sciences: Indian Academy of Sciences and Springer publishing 2018 - continuing: J. Chemical Thermodynamics: Elsevier publishing 2011-2012 Associate Editor, International Research Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry Science Domain International Some Recent Invited Talks: * FORCE–IICS–2023: Future Oriented Research Conferences & Exhibitions - Interdisciplinary Initiatives in Chemical Sciences (IICS): Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu, Nepal, September 28 – October 1, 2023 “Chemistry at Structured Interfaces” * University of Ulm, Germany: Aug.1, 2023 “Fullerene C60 based Donor-Bridge-Acceptor Dyads and Noble Metal Nanoclusters” * Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany: July 14, 2023 “Chemistry at Structured Interfaces” * IIT Gandhinagar: 2nd March 2023 “Polarization-Modulated FT-IRRAS: A Real Time Spectroscopy for Molecular Orientation and Molecular Recognition” * IACIS (International Association for Colloids and Interfaces Society): BRISBANE, Australia,26 -30 JUNE 2022 “Structured Interfaces of High-Performance Elastomers: Experimental and Computational Approaches” * Asima Chatterjee Lecture Series: IIT Indore: Sept.19, 2022 “Chemistry at Structured Interfaces: Molecular Recognition and Orientation Dependent Electron Transport” * Chennai Soft Matter Day: April 2022, IIT Madras “The Exclusivity of 2D Soft Interactions: A Few Examples”. * NRCE (National Resource Centre for Education and Development of Higher and Professional Education): Faculty Development program titled “Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission for Teachers and Teaching: March 2021 “The central object of our Education” * The 8th Asian Conference on Colloid and Interface Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal: 24 -29 Sept. 2019: “Chemistry and Spectroscopy at Structured Interfaces of Functional Amphiphiles” * National Conference on Contemporary trends and future prospects of Functional Materials, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 27 – 19 Nov. 2019: Talk Title: Hydrogen Bond Directed Functional Materials at Modulated Interfaces * Academy Lecture Workshop on Frontiers in Science: Department of Chemistry, VHNSN College, Virudhunagar, September 27-29, 2018 “Shape Control in Restricted Dimensions” Life Member of Professional Societies * Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany * Chemical Research Society of India * Indo-US Fulbright-Nehru Foundation * Max-Planck Research Society, Germany
Research Projects
Research Projects: Completed sponsored research proposals from DST, SERB, CSIR, DRDO, DAE, AvH Foundation, Germany (courtesy-grant), IIT Madras(courtesy-grant).
Research Interests [ details: profarchita-sail.com ]
* Colloids and Structured Interfaces, Emissive H and J dimeric aggregates, Controlled Aggregate Curvature and Dynamics
* Directed Electron Transport in Oriented D-B-A Dyad Monolayers, Molecular Orientation and Polarized FT - IRRAS Spectroscopy, Electrochemical Sensors and Micro-Voltammetry
* Electronic Structure Calculations of Ground and Excited State Molecules, Dimers, D - B - A Dyads, Constrained and un-constrained Molecular Dynamics
Key Publications
[ complete list: profarchita-sail.com ]
* Covalent Functionalization of Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots and Characteristic Charge Transfer from Anthracene-passivated Black Phosphorus Nanospheres to C60 Pyrrolidine Tris-Acid
Harikrishnan Muniyasamy, Malay Krishna Mahato, Mohammad Abdul Sattar, Archita Patnaik
JPC C 2024, 128, 25, 10492-10502
* Reciprocity of C=O⋯ π interactions with the dominant anion–π on fullerene (C60)–amine-based organo-catalysts: a mechanistic elucidation for addition vs. decarboxylation reaction
Murugesan Panneerselvam, Hiregange Akash, Archita Patnaik
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2023, 25, 10647-10660
* Through-Bond-Driven Through-Space Interactions in a Fullerene C60 Noncovalent Dyad: An Unusual Strong Binding between Spherical and Planar π Electron …
M Athar, A Patnaik
The Journal of Physical Chemistry A 2022, 126 (23), 3629-3641
* Synergistic effect of hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding interaction-driven viologen–pyranine charge-transfer aggregates: adenosine monophosphate recognition
RL Narendran, A Patnaik
Soft Matter 17 (4), 903-914, 2021
* Oxidation state-dependent Electronic properties of Sulfur-Containing thermally activated delayed fluorescence molecules
E Varathan, A Patnaik
The Journal of Physical Chemistry A 2019, 123 (41), 8755-8765
* Carbon Nanosheets by Morphology‐Retained Carbonization of 2 ‐ Dimensional Assembled Anisotropic Carbon Nanorings Taizo Mori, …, Nikhil Aggarwal, Archita Patnaik, Katsuhiko Ariga.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57679 – 9683
* Unusual Nonemissive Behavior of Rubrene J – Aggregates: A Rare Violation
N Aggarwal, A Patnaik J. Phys. Chem . B 121 (14), 3190 – 3201, 2017
* Structure and dynamics of a dl-homocysteine functionalized fullerene-
C 60–gold nanocomposite: a femtomolar l-histidine sensor
S Sutradhar, GV Jacob, A Patnaik
Journal of Materials Chemistry B 5 (29), 5835-5844, 2017
* Iso-Oriented Fluorescent Colloidal Nanocrystals of Bis-Cyanostyryl Thiophenes: Crucial Secondary Halogen Interactions toward Stability and Transport
N Ramesh, A Patnaik
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 120 (3), 1909-1917, 2016
* Proton switching as a driving force for the metal–organic complex mediated growth of gold colloids
GV Jacob, S Sutradhar, A Patnaik
New Journal of Chemistry 40 (9), 7431-7436, 2016
* Structure and dynamics of H2O vis – á – vis phenylalanine recognition at a DPPC lipid membrane via interfacial H – bond types: Insights from Polarized FT – IRRAS and ADMP simulations
Nirod Kumar Sarangi, Nivarthi Ramesh and Archita Patnaik J. Chem. Phys. 2015, 142, 024702 (1 – 18)
* Establishing the ellipsoidal geometry of a benzoic acid-based amphiphile via dimer switching: insights from intramolecular rotation and facial H-bond torsion
N Ramesh, NK Sarangi, A Patnaik
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 2013, 117 (17), 5345-5354
* Structure-Directing L-Tryptophan for Supported DPPC Helices and Fractals: An Alkyl-Chain Tilt-Angle Dependence
NK Sarangi, A Patnaik
ChemPlusChem 2012, 77 (10), 898-907
* Solvent‐Polarity‐Tunable Dimeric Association of a Fullerene (C60)–N,N‐Dimethylaminoazobenzene Dyad: Modulated Electronic Coupling of the Azo …
KS Kumar, A Patnaik
Chemistry–A European Journal 2011, 17 (19), 5327-5343
* One pot hemimicellar synthesis of amphiphilic janus gold nanoclusters for novel electronic attributes
P Biji, NK Sarangi, A Patnaik
Langmuir 2010, 26 (17), 14047-14057
* Unilamellar composite vesicles and Y-junctions from pristine fullerene C60
I Ramakanth, BV Shankar, A Patnaik
Chem. Commun. 2008, 4129-4131
* Chiral cones and vesicles from Gemini-type fatty acid–heteroditopic amine mixtures
BV Shankar, A Patnaik
Soft Matter 2008, 4 (8), 1713-1717
* Bilayer vesicles as precursors for spherical fractal aggregates from the self-assembly of a – fullerene – dyad in polar solvent SS Gayathri, A Patnaik
J. Chem. Phys. 2006, 124 (13), 131104
* Polarized near-edge x-ray-absorption fine structure spectroscopy of C60-functionalized 11-amino-1-undecane thiol self-assembled monolayer: Molecular orientation and Evidence …
A Patnaik, KK Okudaira, S Kera, H Setoyama, K Mase, N Ueno
The Journal of chemical physics 2004, 122 (15)
* Microscopic diffusion model applied to fullerene fractals in carbon disulphide solution
AD Bokare, A Patnaik J. Chem. Phys. 2003, 119 (8), 4529 – 4538
Contact Details
Full Name
Archita Patnaik
apatnaik@iiserbpr.ac.in
Contact
9025185413
Personal Website
https://profarchita-sail.com