STIMULI-RESPONSIVE SUPRAMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY LABORATORY

Welcome to the laboratory of stimuli-responsive supramolecular chemistry. Our research interests focused at the inter-disciplinary field of dynamic complex molecular architectures and supra-molecular systems. We wish to regulate the structure and motion across all scales to create new materials, discover their emergent properties and perform useful tasks through modulating different supra-molecular interactions. In doing so, we would like to expose important features of dynamic systems in biology and develop know-how in the design that will be critical in realizing the potential of supramolecular systems and nanomaterials.

You can explore our research in more detail here, and in our publications.

We are looking for talented and highly motivated coworkers to work in the field of supramolecular chemistry.

Interested candidates for PhD positions are encouraged to apply directly at soumende@iisertvm.ac.in with their CV and may apply through IISER-TVM Ph.D program. 

For more information, please check: http://www.iisertvm.ac.in/pages/phd_programme

• Congratulations to Diptiprava for her work on chiral self-sorting accepted in ChemistryOpen. 

Chiral self-sorting is prevalent in biological systems, as most biomolecules are homochiral. However, the reason one specific enantiomer of amino acids (L) and sugars (D) is favored in proteins and DNA remains debated. Inspired by these homochiral biological assemblies, chiral self-sorting has gained increasing attention in recent years as a means to better understand these selection processes.

In this work, we leverage reversible imine bond formation to achieve homochiral self-sorting in the construction of macrocyclic architectures. The reversibility of imine bonds provides a self-correcting mechanism, allowing for high selectivity and efficiency in product distribution under thermodynamic control. We demonstrate quantitative self-sorting using BINOL-derived C2-symmetric bis-aldehyde and diamine to create several homochiral macrocycles and investigate their chiroptical properties.

• Congratulations to Chandana and Aiswarya for successfully completing their master project. Both of them will be going to PhD. All the best for your future career. 

• Congratulations to Ajas for successfully completing his minor project.

• Sreelakshmi P from the Department of Chemistry, Christ College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda,Thrissur, joined our group to pursue her master's project. She will be working on chiral macrocycles and their applications. Welcome, Sreelakshmi, and all the best for your thesis.

• Congratulations to Renitta for her work on switchable catalysis accepted in Dalton Transactions. 

Generally, thiourea has the ability to exist in equilibrium between syn-anti and anti-anti conformations. However, our study demonstrates that by incorporating a thiourea moiety into 1,10-phenanthroline, the conformation can be precisely fixed in the anti-anti form. Furthermore, the introduction of a copper complex enables us to selectively access the syn-anti conformation, providing a mechanism for toggling various Michael addition reactions ON and OFF. 

• Mrinmoy joined as a PhD student. Welcome and good luck Mrinmoy!

• Congratulations to Aarti, Abhinu, Ashley, Jerry and Suraj on completing your graduation. All the best for your future endeavours.

• Chandana and Aiswarya joined to pursue their major project. Welcome on board and good luck.

• Congratulations to Dipti, Muhsin and Aarti for their article on chiral molecular switches.

• Our recent article on "fuel-driven molecular switches and machines" is in highlighted in C&En. The highlight summarizes the opinions of several groups including ours.

• Akanksha Sharma has been selected for the Prime Ministers Research Fellowship (PMRF). Congratulations Akanksha.

• Congratulations to Renitta, Dipti and Ajith for their review of Recent advances in fuel-driven molecular switches and machines

Most of the reported switches and machines operate under equilibrium conditions. However, many biological machines, from which supramolecular chemist takes inspiration, work under non-equilibrium condition. Those biotic machinery work by dissipating chemical energy to mechanical energy. Thus, the arena of artificial switches and machines has entered a new phase in which molecular machines operate under out-of-equilibrium conditions using appropriate fuel. The dissipative off-equilibrium machines require only one stimulus to complete each cycle and decrease chemical waste. Such a modus operandi would set significant steps towards mimicking the natural machines and may offer a platform for advancing new applications by providing temporal control. This review summarises the recent progress and blueprint of autonomous fuel-driven off-equilibrium molecular switches and machines.

• A collaborative paper is accepted in Nanoscale Horizons. It describes the structural characterization in on-surface synthesis of a covalent organic framework. 

For more details, please check out our recent publications: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d1nh00486g

• Congratulations to Renitta, Diptiprava and Nithish for their book chapter on "Metal-Ion-Driven Molecular Machines." 

It is well-known that all the molecules are in constant Brownian motion. However, due to its random nature, Brownian motion cannot perform any work. Therefore, channelizing this random translational, rotational and vibrational motion at the molecular level is a topic of interest. Although it is difficult to control the motion of a single molecule, it is possible to control the translational/rotational/ vibrational motion within a molecule. Some input is necessary to control this intra-component movement, such as heat, light, metal ion, etc. In this book chapter, we have shown how a metal ion can be instrumental in regulating the intra-component movement of a molecule. In the end, we have also discussed some applications of metal ion-driven molecular motion. For more details, please check out our recent publications.

• Congratulations to Diptiprava, Renitta and Nithish for their review on "Chiroptical Switches." 

From our undergraduate studies, we know that generally, we can not change the configuration of any chiral molecules without breaking or making bonds. However, recent studies have shown that external factors such as light, temperature, solvent etc., can alter the configuration of a molecule without breaking any bond. This review summarizes the ways to change the chirality (configuration) of a molecule upon application of external stimuli. For more details, please check out our recent publications: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202100322