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PALLAB BASURI

ETH Zurich, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University

Research areas: Chemistry · Spectroscopy · Mass Spectrometry Techniques and Applications · Electrohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics · Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation

ORCID iD 0000-0002-8627-6555
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About

I am a passionate researcher with several years of experience in the field of Chemistry, skilled at designing and executing experimental setups. My research work is focused on developing novel ion sources for mass spectrometry and understanding the chemistry in microdroplets. I have gained experience in mass spectrometric techniques involving various ambient ionization methods which include paper spray, electrospray ionization, desorption electrospray ionization, and a few others. I am experienced with a linear ion trap quadrupole mass spectrometer (LTQ MS), and a high-resolution LTQ-orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometer. During my Ph.D., we have introduced a few ambient ion sources such as laser-assisted paper spray ionization (LAPSI), Superhydrophobic preconcentration paper spray ionization (SHPPSI), Microdroplet impact-induced spray ionization (MISI), and streaming ionization (SI). I have experience in the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials. I worked for more than a year at Purdue University as an overseas visiting doctoral fellow on accelerated reactions. There I built my interest in chemistry in microdroplets. I worked on several projects, one of which was developing a metal-free route for the accelerated synthesis of benzimidazole and its derivatives in an ambient atmosphere, in microdroplets. There we found super acidity at the droplet surface providing unique conditions that reagents do not follow Brønsted acid-base concept. Comparison of this methodology with data from a thin film and bulk synthesis led to the proposal of three key steps in the reaction: (i) formation of an unusual reagent (protonated carboxylic acid) because of the extraordinary conditions at the droplet interface, (ii) accelerated bimolecular reaction because of limited solvation at the interface and (iii) thermally assisted elimination of water. Later, we found an accelerated non-enzymatic and metal-free “reaction and extraction” of sugar esters at the interface of two immiscible liquid microdroplets. The bimolecular reaction occurs by collision of microdroplets originating from two home-built electrospray sonic ion sources, carrying sugar molecules in water and fatty acids in toluene. In this work, we showed that microdroplet synthesis could offer a sustainable method for biphasic reactions, eliminating the need for phase transfer reagents and activating agents such as acids/bases, metals, or enzymes. In a recent report, we observed features such as mass/size-selective segregation and spatial localization of solutes in nanometer-thin regions and the formation of micro-nano vacuoles in nanoparticles containing charged aqueous microdroplets. Rhodamine 6G containing aqueous droplets shows molecular de-aggregation at the air/water interface. The fluorescence micrographs of microdroplets derived from the aqueous solutions of these dyes show that they are monomeric at the air/water interface but highly aggregated at the core. I am currently working on single-particle spectroscopy. I am also interested in developing new synthetic methods for accelerated chemical reactions and spectroscopic methods to understand processes occurring at the microdroplet surface.

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Publications (18)