Our research

Research Interest

Our research interests include the solid-state pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutical crystallography, mechanical properties, crystal growth and polymorphism in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredeints (APIs) and Functional Organic Crystals. Characterization techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, DSC, TG analysis, hot-stage microscopy and Raman spectroscopy are extensively employed. The ultimate aim of studies is to apply "Crystal Engineering" principles to (1) understand and predict the properties of solid state organic functional materials on their crystal structures and (2) develop the design principles to control physicochemical properties. Functional solids and materials with biological importance are also studied to establish structure-function relationship for practical applications.

Some highlights of the work published

Mechanical properties of molecular crystals

Study of mechanical properties of molecular crystals is of our main research focus. Establishing the mechanis m behind the mechanical properties is very important in the context of active pharmaceutical ingredients for their bet ter tabletability properties.

Flexible Organic Materials

Elastic crystals may asset unique applications in optoelectronics,mechanical actuators, artificial muscles, pharmaceuticals, and explosives etc.

Mechanochromic Luminescent Materials

Solid-state fluorophore with high plasticity can act as reversible mechanochromic luminescent (ML) materials. High plasticity, such as in plasticall y bendable crystals, leads to creation of low energy defects in crystallites upon mechanical action, hence lead to ML behaviour (change of emission colour by me chanical action). The perturbed forms, upon heating or with time, can heal back and produce the original emission colour, leading to reversible ML behaviour in s olid state fluorophore.

Fast screening

Fast screening of cocrystals, polymorphs, solvates etc. can be done by rotory evaporation technique. Faster crystallization kinetics of the process enhance the possibility of detecting metastable forms.

Tabletability

Tabletability of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) can be understood and perhaps designed, by using the structure-mechanical property correlation. Our studies indicate that the plastically bendable crystalline forms produce the best tablets.

Some Cover Articles

News

Mechanically Flexible Organic Crystals Achieved by Introducing Weak Interactions in Structure: Supramolecular Shape Synthons c&en chemical & engineering news

New method for making flexible single crystals: The crystals can respond to external stimuli such as mechanical stress, light and heat, they could be used to make pressure sensors and mechanical actuators,” says lead scientist Chilla Malla Reddy from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata. Nature India