Addition of colloids (1 nm – 1000 nm) to polymeric materials such as polymer melts, block copolymers, liquid crystals etc., leads to a variety of novel properties in synthesized nanocomposites. Primary focus of my research group is to experimentally investigate the interplay of interactions of colloids with polymeric hosts on the fundamental properties (structural and dynamics) of such composites, including their phase behavior, rheology and colloidal diffusion. We are also interested in novel potential applications of such hybrid materials in applications such as energy devices, photonics, bio-medicines etc.

• Mangal, R., Srivastava, S. & Archer, L.A. “Phase stability and dynamics of entangled polymer–nanoparticle composites”, Nature Communications 6, 7198 (2015).

• Choudhury, S., Mangal, R., Agrawal, A. & Archer, L.A. “A Highly Reversible Room Temperature Lithium Metal Battery based on Cross-linked Hairy Nanoparticles”, Nature Communications, 10101 (2015).

• Mangal, R., Srivastava, S., Narayanan, S. & Archer, L.A. “Size-dependent nanoparticle relaxations in polymer nanocomposites”, Langmuir 32, 596 (2016).

• Mangal, R., Srivastava, S., Narayanan, S. & Archer, L.A. “Size-dependent nanoparticle relaxations in polymer nanocomposites”, Langmuir 32, 596 (2016).

• Mangal, R., Wen Y.H., Choudhury, S., & Archer, L.A. “Multiscale Dynamics of Polymers in Particle rich Nanocomposites”, Macromolecules 49,5202 (2016).

• Mangal, R., Nath, P., Tikekar, M., & Archer, L.A. “Enthalpy-Driven Stabilization of Dispersions of Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles in High-Molecular-Weight Polymer Melts”, Langmuir 32, 10621 (2016).

• Kim S., Mangal, R., & Archer, L.A., Relaxation Dynamics of Nanoparticle-Tethered Polymer Chains”, Macromolecules, 46, 6820 (2015).

• Srivastava S., Agrawal P., Mangal R., Narayanan S., Koch D.L. & Archer L.A., “Hyperdiffusive Dynamics in Newtonian Nanoparticle Fluids”,Macro letters, 4, 1149 (2015).

• Patil S., Mangal, R., Malasi, A. & Sharma, A., “Biomimetic Wet Adhesion of Viscoelastic Liquid Films Anchored on Micropatterned Elastic Substrates”, Langmuir 28, 14784 (2012).

• Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant, Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University (2016)

• McMullen Fellowship, Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University (2012)

• Manager, Reliance Industries Limited, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India (Jul.2010 – Jul.2012)

Office

Office Phone: +91 512 259-2002 (O)

Email: mangalr[AT]iitk.ac.in