• General Inorganic Chemistry
• Solid State Chemistry
• Symmetry and Group Theory in Chemistry
• X-ray Crystallography
• Green Chemistry

We are interested in the broad field of inorganic synthesis - synthesis of new compounds and their detailed characterization. Synthesis of coordination compounds of various nuclearities constitutes a main theme of our work. In doing so, we commonly make use of carboxylate anions as ligands because they can coordinate in a variety of coordination modes. Nitrogen-base ligands are frequently used by us to facilitate the formation of new compounds, possibly with unique structure and properties. In some cases, we try to utilize metal complexes - both new and known - as precursors to form metal that are useful in so may different ways.

Primarily, we try to make use of the compounds synthesized by us in the field of catalysis. It has been possible to prepare a number of tetranuclear metal complexes of cobalt(III) having the general formula Co₄O₄(O₂CR)₄L₄ where R is an alkyl or aryl group and L is usually a pyridyl ligand. A general method for the preparation of these robust complexes has been developed.

These cobalt(III) species act as efficient catalysts for the oxidation of a variety of organic compounds including alkylaromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols and alkenes with air and or TBHP as the oxidants. In addition, the cobalt(III)-oxo complexes are able to catalyze the oxidation of water in presence of a photosensitizer.

Another area of interest has been the synthesis of new and known metal complexes that are suitable for use as precursors for the synthesis of nanostructured metal oxides.

Use of the single crystal X-ray diffraction method as a definitive identification of mono-, oligo- and poly-nuclear metal complexes has been a primary theme of work in the group.

 PhD Students

1. Monsumi Gogoi (PhD thesis submitted, viva voce examination awaited)
2. Palash Bharali (Thesis pre-submission formalities completed)
3. Prity Kangkan Kouli (Final Registration completed)
4. Nirupamjit Sarmah (Final Registration completed)
5. Anup Malakar (Supervised jointly with Dr. M. Chakrabortty of Assam Engineering College, Guwahati)
6. Naba Jyoti Kalita (Supervised jointly with Dr. M. Chakrabortty of Assam Engineering College, Guwahati)
7. Purnima Baruah
   

Another researcher, Anamika Talukdar also works in the group as part of the ongoing collaboration with Dr. M. Chakrabortty of Assam Engineering College, Guwahati. She is registered as a PhD student of Gauhati University.

Two 4th Sem MSc Students - Sukanya Das and Dimpal Pathak are currently doing their project dissertation work.

• Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship, Year: 2011-2012, held at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta,USA for 8 months
• Commonwealth Postdoctoral Fellowship, Year: 1999, held at University of York, UK for 1 year
• Academic Affililiate position to work at the Center for Fundamental Materials Research, Michigan State University, USA for a period of 12 weeks starting April 2001
• Postdoctoral Fellowship to work with Mercouri G. Kanatzidis of Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA for 2 years during 1993-1995
• Dr J C Ghosh Gold Medal, Year: 1992, awarded by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as the Best Thesis Award for the year
• Senior Research Fellowship, CSIR held during 1989-1991 at IISc Bangalore as a PhD student
• Junior Research Fellowship (UGC-NET) held during 1986-1989 at IISc Bangalore as a PhD student
• 6th Rank in Pre-University (Science) Examination of Gauhati University in 1979

Postal Address

Phone Number

+91 98640 54739

E-mail addresses

bkdas@gauhati.ac.in

Birinchi.Das@gmail.com

Birinchi K. Das

Professor of Chemistry

Personal e-mail: Birinchi.Das@gmail.com

Mobile Phone Number: +91 98640 54739

Birinchi Das joined Gauhati University as a Lecturer in 1991 and was promoted to a Reader position in 1998. He became a Professor in November 2006 and served as the Head of the Department of Chemistry, Gauhati University during 2014-2017. His research interests span the areas of Inorganic synthesis, crystal structure analysis, metal-catalyzed oxidation and environmental chemistry.

Education

High School Leaving Certificate Examination, Boards of Seconday Education Assam (1977) FIRST DIVISION

Pre-University Examination, Gauhati University (1979) FIRST DIVISION

B.Sc. with Honours in Chemistry from Cotton College (Guwahati), Gauhati University (1983)* FIRST CLASS

M.Sc. in Chemistry with specialization in Inorganic Chemistry, Gauhati University (1986)* FIRST CLASS

Ph.D. in Chemistry. Thesis title: STUDIES ON THE REACTIVITY OF TRIPHENYLPHOSPHINE TOWARDS DIRUTHENIUM(II, III) TETRACARBOXYLATES. Supervisor: Prof. Ahil Ranjan Chakravarty, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (1992)

Short-term Research on High -T_c Superconductors as a Visiting Fellow in the laboratory of Bharat Ratna Prof. C.N.R. Rao (1992)

Postdoctoral Research on metal chalcogenides with Prof. Mercouri G. Kanatzidis of Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA (1993-1995)

Commonwealth Fellowship in the area of Green Chemistry with Prof. James H. Clark of the University of York, UK (1999)

Fulbright Fellowship to work on biomass utilization with Prof. Arthur J. Ragauskas of Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA (2011-2012)

*Study periods affected by political disturbances.