Chemistry Personnel

Mrinal Bhunia - was born and raised in Haldia, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India. Mrinal received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tamluk College, Vidyasagar University in 2010. After that he moved to Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi for completing his master’s degree in chemistry. During that time, he joined the M.Sc. project under the supervision of Prof. Ajai Kumar Singh to synthesize palladium organometallic complexes for Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions. Motivating from catalysis, he moved Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata in 2012 and joined under the supervision of Prof. Swadhin Mandal to pursue a Ph. D. There he took the challenge to develop earth-abundant metal based complexes comprising abnormal N-heterocyclic carbene (aNHC), cyclic alkyl(amino) carbene (cAAC), and redox active phenalenone ligands in homogeneous catalysis. Toward the end of his doctoral studies, he investigated how redox equivalent stored in the phenalenone backbone in the form of a C–H bond and transfers catalytically to perform multi-electron reduction which closely mimics nature’s strategy of using organohydride in the form of NAD(P)H. This study encouraged him to move the Mindiola group in fall of 2019 at University of Pennsylvania to carry out the research on the coordination chemistry of titanium, zirconium and hafnium for nitrogen transfer reactions towards challenging bonds. Outside of the lab, Mrinal enjoys playing cricket, football as well as spending time with friends and cooking.