The principal thrust of present research activities has been in the area of supramolecular chemistry of cryptands and coordination polymers for various applications

(i) Cryptand:
Made a new synthetic protocol for multigram synthesis of cryptands adopted by others.
Major contributions include transition metal induced fluorescence enhance-ment. Transition metal ions that are known as effective quenchers, can give large enhancement with cryptand based systems. Such systems are useful as sensors for biological/ environmental applications and as logic gates for molecular information processing.
Another important research is based on cryptand based new generation of amphiphiles for stable Langmuir-Blodgett films and vesicular aggregates. Translocation of a metal ion inside the cavity as well as inside to outside of the cavity in a reversible manner has been achieved.
Presently, we are engaged in single- as well as multi-step FRET and use of cryptands as platforms for attachment of donors and acceptors for charge separation. Besides, new generation of cryptands for exocyclic coordination are also being pursued.

(ii) Coordination Polymers:
Research activity in this emerging area of chemistry involves synthesis of coordination polymers and use them to store gases for mobile applications. In addition various other applications such as heterogeneous catalysis, separation of geometrical isomers, magnetism, proton conductance and so on are being investigated.
In a major thrust, single-crystal to single-crystal (SC-SC) transformations of coordination polymers for various applications are being probed.

• A Chemosensor Built with Rhodamine Derivatives Appended to an Aromatic via 1,2,3-Triazoles: DualDetection of Aluminium and Fluoride/ Acetate anions,Inorg. Chem., 52, 1161 (2013).

• High Proton Conductivity by a Metal-Organic Framework Incorporating Zn8O Clusters with AlignedImidazolium Groups Decorating the Channels,J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134, 19432 (2012).

• Direct Crystallographic Observation of Catalytic Reactions inside the Pores of a Flexible Coordination Polymer,Chem. Eur. J., 18, 6866 (2012).

• Effect of Bulkiness on Reversible Substituition Reactions at Mn(II) Center with Concominant Movement ofthe Lattice DMF: Observation Through Single-Crystal to Single-Crystal Fashion,Chem. Eur. J., 16, 5070 (2010).

• A Porous Coordination Polymer Exhibiting Reversible Single-Crystal to Single-Crystal SubstitutionReactions at Mn(II) Center byNitrile Guest Molecules,J. Am. Chem. Soc., 131, 10942 (2009).

• A Cryptand Based Chemodosimetric Probe for Naked Eye Detection of Mercury(II) Ion in AqueousMedium and Its Application in Live Cell Imaging,Chem. Commun. 4417 (2009)

• Translocation of Copper Within the Cavity of Cryptands: Reversible Fluorescence Signaling,Chem. Commun. 4180 (2008)

• UNESCO Fellow, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 1979-1980

• Postdocs: Rutgers University, 1980-1985

• University of California at Davis, 1985-1987

• Assistant Prof., 1987-1993

• Associate Prof., 1993-1995

• Professor, IIT Kanpur, 1995-present

• Visiting Prof., University of Saarland, Germany, 1998

• POSTECH, S. Korea, 2000-2001; Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, 1998

• Fellow, Indian National Science Academy, 2008

• Poonam and Prabhu Goel Chair, 2011

• J. C. Bose National Fellow, 2011

• Distinguished Alumnus, IIT Kharagpur, 2013

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 2014

• Distinguished Alumnus Award (IIT Kharagpur)

• P. Ray Memorial Award, Indian Chemical Society

• Poonam and Prabhu Goel Chair Professor

• J.C. Bose National Fellowship from Department of Science & Technology, India

• Member, Readers' Panel for the Journal Nature

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Office Phone: 0512-259-7340 (O)

Email: pkb[AT]iitk.ac.in