Personal information
Family name, First name: Sarkar, Sounak
Researcher unique identifier(s) ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1037-8045
Research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sounak-Sarkar-2
Date of birth: 13/11/1989
Nationality: Indian
Education
01/08/2011 to 31/07/2013 Master of Science, Chemical Science Division, Indian Institute of Science, India.
01/08/2013 to 31/07/2018 Ph.D, Prof. T.N Guru Row (Supervisor), Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, India. Thesis Title: High-Resolution Charge Density Studies on Electronic Nature of Weak Interactions and Correlation of Molecular Conformation with Packing in Solid State.
Professional Experience
28/03/2024-Present RTDA, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering (DCMC), Politecnico di Milano, Italy
01/03/2024 to 27/03/2024 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering (DCMC), Politecnico di Milano, Italy;
01/08/2019 to 31/07/2023 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Denmark;
01/08/2018 to 01/08/2019 Research Associate, Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, India.
Research Interests
– Experimental quantum crystallography and X-ray charge density study of chemical bonds and weak interactions in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), coordination polymers, organic functional materials to understand structure-property correlations.
– High-pressure X-ray Crystallography to study phase transitions and mechanical stabilities in functional MOFs.
– Anomalous thermal expansion (zero or negative thermal expansion) in coordination network materials.
– Designing solid solutions of MOFs, organic crystals to enhance the thermal stability and mechanical behavior (elasticity, plasticity).
Skills
Accurate ultra-high resolution single crystal X-ray diffraction data collection from synchrotron (beamline BL02B1 at SPring-8, Japan) and in-house facilities for quantum crystallography and multipole modelling.
High-pressure single crystal X-ray diffraction data collection using Diamond Anvil Cell. from synchrotron (Xpress beamline at Trieste, Italy) and in-house facilities.
Complete structural analysis including structure determination to publication from single crystal X-ray diffraction.
Pattern indexing, Phase purity analysis, Percentage crystallinity analysis, Profile fitting analysis, Rietveld Refinement using accurate synchrotron (beamline BL02B2 at SPring-8, Japan) and in-house Powder X-ray Diffraction.
Operation of Bruker Kappa Apex-II CCD, Rigaku XtaLAB Synergy S, Oxford Diffraction SuperNova single crystal diffractometers including variable temperature measurements using Oxford Cryostream and Oxford Cobra cryosystem.
Operation of Bruker D8, Panalytical Empyrean, Rigaku SmartLab II diffractometer and Rigaku Miniflex powder diffractometers.
Ab initio quantum chemical calculations using Gaussian software and periodic DFT calculations using Crystal package.
Synthesis of high-quality single crystals of metal-organic framework, coordination polymers using solvothermal, solution layering, mechanochemical synthesis.
Crystallization of organic molecules from various crystallization techniques (slow evaporation, vapor diffusion, solvent diffusion, melt-cool and sublimation).
Mounting crystals with loop, glass fibre (naked mounting) and capillary mounting (for unstable crystals).
Operation of Renishaw inVia Reflex Micro Raman spectrometer including variable temperature measurements using Linkam THMS 600 heating−cooling stage.
Characterization of crystalline samples by spectroscopic (IR, 13C ssNMR and UV), thermal techniques (DSC and TGA) and elemental analysis (SEM-EDS, XRF).
In-house time resolved pump probe X-ray diffraction measurements using Bruker AXS single-crystal diffractometer equipped with molybdenum TXS rotating anode, optical chopper and Nd-YAG laser.
Single crystal neutron diffraction to determine accurate positions and thermal parameters of atoms in organic compounds.
Familiar with NLO property measurements by Kurtz-Perry method.
Publications
Sarkar, Sounak; Pavan, Mysore S; Row, T N Guru; Experimental validation of ‘pnicogen bonding’ in nitrogen by charge density analysis, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 17, 4, 2330-2334, 2015.
Sarkar, Sounak; Pavan, Mysore S; Cherukuvada, Suryanarayan; Row, T N Guru; Acetazolamide polymorphism: a case of hybridization induced polymorphism?, Chemical Communications, 52, 34, 5820-5823, 2016.
Sarkar, Sounak; Row, Row, T N Guru; A heuristic approach to evaluate peri interactions versus intermolecular interactions in an overcrowded naphthalene, IUCrJ, 4, 1, 37-49, 2017.
Ganduri, Ramesh; Cherukuvada, Suryanarayan; Sarkar, Sounak; Row, T N Guru; Manifestation of cocrystals and eutectics among structurally related molecules: towards understanding the factors that control their formation, CrystEngComm ,19, 7, 1123-1132, 2017.
Basuroy, Krishnayan; Chen, Yang; Sarkar, Sounak; Benedict, Jason; Coppens, Philip; Exploring the structural changes on excitation of a luminescent organic bromine-substituted complex by in-house time-resolved pump-probe diffraction, Structural Dynamics, 4, 2, 024501, 2017.
Pavan, Mysore S; Sarkar, Sounak; Row, T N Guru; Exploring the rare S-H-S hydrogen bond using charge density analysis in isomers of mercaptobenzoic acid, Acta Crystallographica Section B: Structural Science, Crystal Engineering and Materials, 73, 4, 626-633, 2017.
Sarkar, Sounak; Thomas, Sajesh P; Potnuru, Lokeswara Rao; Edwards, Alison J; Grosjean, Arnaud; Ramanathan, Krishna Venkatachala; Row, T N Guru; Experimental insights into the electronic nature, spectral features, and role of entropy in short CH3-CH3 hydrophobic interactions, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 10, 22, 7224-7229, 2019.
Pramanik, Titas; Sarkar, Sounak; Row, T N Guru; Halogen Bonded Network Modulating the Mechanical Property Elastic and Plastic Bending in Nonconventional Molecular Solid Solutions, Crystal Growth & Design, 22, 1, 48-53, 2021.
Madsen, Rasmus SK; Sarkar, Sounak; Iversen, Bo Brummerstedt; Yue, Yuanzheng; Sensitivity of the glass transition and melting in a metal–organic framework to ligand chemistry, Chemical Communications,58,6,823-826,2022.
Sarkar, Sounak; Grønbech, Thomas Bjørn Egede; Mamakhel, Aref; Bondesgaard, Martin; Sugimoto, Kunihisa; Nishibori, Eiji; Iversen, Bo Brummerstedt; X‐ray Electron Density Study of the Chemical Bonding Origin of Glass Formation in Metal–Organic Frameworks, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 61, 22, e202202742,2022.
Thomas, Sajesh P; Dikundwar, Amol G; Sarkar, Sounak; Pavan, Mysore S; Pal, Rumpa; Hathwar, Venkatesha R; Row, T N Guru; The relevance of experimental charge density analysis in unraveling noncovalent interactions in molecular crystals, Molecules, 27, 12, 3690, 2022.
Mandal, Koushik; Sarkar, Sounak; Ghosh, Peuli; Hathwar, Venkatesha R; Chopra, Deepak; Quantitative insights into noncovalent interactions involving halogen and tetrel bonds in 2, 4, 6-trimethylpyrylium tetrafluoroborate, Acta Crystallographica Section C: Structural Chemistry, 78, 11, 2022.
Panda, Debendra Prasad; Swain, Diptikanta; Sarkar, Sounak; Sundaresan, A; Halogen Bond Induced Structural and Photophysical Properties Modification in Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Manganese Halides, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters,14, 4211-4218, 2023.
Sarkar, Sounak; Vosegaard, ES; Iversen, Iversen, Bo Brummerstedt; Chemical Bonding Origin of Mechanically Induced Glass Formation in a Coordination Polymer, Chemistry of Materials,.2023, 35, 20, 8629–8635.
Sarkar, Sounak; Iversen, Bo Brummerstedt; Near-Zero Thermal Expansion in a Coordination Polymer, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025, e202503365.
Conference Papers
Sarkar, Sounak; Vosegaard, ES; Iversen, Iversen, Bo Brummerstedt; Correlating chemical bonds with glass formation in coordination polymers: a combined X-ray electron density and high-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction study, Acta Crystallographica Section A: Foundations of Crystallography, 78, a584-a585, 2023.
Sarkar, Sounak; Mamakhel, Aref H; Bondesgaard, Martin; Reardon, Hazel; Iversen, Bo Brummerstedt; Kasai, Hidetaka; Nishibori, Eiji; Thermal stability of Glass forming Metal-Organic Framework: Role of metal-ligand bonding, Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation And Advances, 77, C277-C277, 2021.
Basuroy, Krishnayan; Sarkar, Sounak; Bateman, Gage; Benedict, Jason; Coppens, Philip; Time-resolved study of molecular crystals, with anomalously short Br-Br contacts, Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation And Advances, 73, C1051-C1051, 2017.
Sarkar, Sounak; Thomas, Sajesh P; Row, T N Guru; Decoding the nature of hydrophobic interactions in caffeine molecular complexes, Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation And Advances,73, C697-C697, 2017.
Teaching Activities
Teaching assistant for Materials Chemistry IIIb: Advanced Crystallography Course at Chemistry Department, Aarhus University.
Teaching assistant for “Symmetry and Structure in the Solid State” course at Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, India.
Teaching assistant for “Physical and Analytical Chemistry laboratory” laboratory course at Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Department, Indian Institute of Science, India.
Memberships of Scientific Societies
Life Member of Indian Crystallographic Association.
Member of World Directory of Crystallographers (IUCr ID 19740).
Prizes and awards
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fund by European Commission for the proposal (ID 101209363) submitted to HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01 call.
Seal of Excellence by European Commission for the proposal (ID 101153957) submitted to HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01 call.
Young scientist travel grant from International Union of Crystallography committee to attend Workshop on Dynamic Structural Photocrystallography in Chemistry and Material Science held on 16th -20th June 2013 in Buffalo, New York.
Young Scientist Award from International Union of Crystallography committee to attend SAGAMORE XVIII Conference on Charge, Spin and Momentum Densities (CSMD) held on 7th-12th June 2015 in Santa Margherita di Pula (CA), Sardinia, Italy.
Invited presentations to peer-reviewed, internationally established conferences
Oral presentation in XX Sagamore conference, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi NCR, India, 10th‐15th November 2024.
Poster presentation in 33rd European Crystallographic Meeting, Versailles, France, 23rd-27th August, 2022.
Oral presentation in 25th Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography, Prague, Czech Republic, 14th-22nd August, 2021.
Poster presentation in 24th Congress and General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography Hyderabad, India, 21st-28th August 2017.
Poster presentation in 13th Asian Crystallographic Association Meeting (AsCA 2015) Kolkata, India, 5th-8th December, 2015.
Poster presentation in SAGAMORE XVIII Conference on Charge, Spin and Momentum Densities (CSMD) Santa Margherita di Pula (CA), Sardinia, Italy, 7th -12th June 2015.
Poster presentation in Asian Charge Density Workshop, February 2015 held at Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, IISc Bangalore, India.
Review/evaluation and selection of other researchers work
I have evaluated papers from MDPI journals (Crystals, Minerals), ACS journals (Crystal Growth & Design).
Funding received so far
01/10/2024 to 31/09/2026 Independent Seal of Excellence Grant (ID 101153957) from European Council (~3300 € as Personnel cost per month + 20,000 € for start-up research fund).
03/01/2024 to 31/09/2024 PRIN (Research Projects of National Interest) fellowship (~2350 € as Personnel cost per month).
01/08/2019 to 31/07/2023 Villum Foundation, Denmark (~5600 € as Personnel cost per month).
01/08/2013 to 31/07/2019 Institute Scholarship from Ministry of Human Resource Development, India (~400 £ per month).
Supervising and mentoring activities
During my PhD tenure, I have trained and co-mentored two PhD students (Dr. Titas Pramanik, Dr. Ajana Dutta), and this experience will help me in guiding PhD and graduate students as an independent researcher as part of the MSCA project. As a part of my post-doctoral research work at Aarhus University, Denmark, I have trained master and PhD students in synthesis of MOF, growing single crystals and HR X-ray crystallography.
Professional References
Prof. T. N. Guru Row,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
gururow@gmail.com
Prof. Bo Brummerstedt Iversen,
Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
bo@chem.au.dk
Prof. Piero Macchi
Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
piero.macchi@polimi.it