Partha Sarathi Mukherjee

Professor Partha Sarathi Mukherjee is a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. With 28 years of research experience in inorganic chemistry and 22 years of teaching at honors/PG levels, he has established himself as a leading researcher in supramolecular chemistry and related fields. His work focuses on designing complex molecular architectures through coordination-driven self-assembly and exploring their applications in catalysis and molecular recognition.

Educational Background:

• Doctor of Philosophy (Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata)
• MSc (Jadavpur University, Kolkata)
• BSc (Burdwan University)

Professor Mukherjee's research interests center around supramolecular chemistry, catalysis in confined spaces, light-harvesting systems for photocatalysis, and organic materials for separation of isomers and enantiomers. His work demonstrates how subtle design modifications in molecular building blocks can yield complex supramolecular architectures with tailored properties for specific applications. He has made significant contributions to understanding how the geometry and functionality of molecular cavities influence host-guest chemistry and catalytic activity.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward creating water-soluble coordination cages with precisely controlled geometries for applications in molecular recognition, selective catalysis, and separation science. The research shows how angular modulation of ligands can dramatically affect the orientation of functional groups within molecular cavities, thereby controlling their host-guest properties. Many of his recent papers focus on Pd(II) and Pt(II) based architectures with applications in photocatalysis, selective oxidation, and molecular separation.

Professor Mukherjee has mentored 24 PhD students and 25 postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have gone on to become faculty members at leading institutions including NISER, IISER, IIT, NITs, and various universities. His research group has published 231 peer-reviewed articles and he has delivered over 280 lectures worldwide.

His laboratory focuses on the self-assembly of complex molecular architectures, particularly metal-organic cages and barrels, and their applications in catalysis, molecular recognition, and separation science. The group employs a range of techniques including X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and computational methods to characterize these systems and understand their properties.