Department of Chemistry

• July 2015 - Dec 2019:  Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry
                                        Indian Institute of Technology Madras
                                        Supervisor: Prof. T. Pradeep
• July 2013 - July 2015: M.Sc. in Chemistry
                                        Indian Institute of Technology Madras
• July 2010 - May 2013: B.Sc. Chemistry (Hons.)
                                        Scottish Church College, University of Calcutta

I am interested in research areas focusing on microdroplet chemistry, which is at the interface of Physical, Bio-Analytical, Materials, and Environmental Chemistry, as follows:

1. Accelerated Drug Discovery: Instrumentation, Synthesis, and Analysis

Drug discovery using a conventional synthetic approach is a lengthy and costly process that involves sequential reactions from starting materials (de novo synthesis). As an alternative, mass spectrometry (MS) combined with automation has emerged as an important high-throughput (HT) synthetic and screening tool. The synthesis can be performed in microdroplets generated during ESI-MS analysis, where the chemical reactions are found to be ~102-106 times faster than the conventional bulk phase reaction. I plan to utilize an automated HT platform based on desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) mass spectrometry to obtain a library of modified drug compounds. A home-built DESI stage can be easily fabricated, which is an attachable/detachable component that works as a plug-and-play module with any mass spectrometer type. Apart from the accelerated synthetic method, the same DESI-MS platform will be used for HT reaction screening (analysis time ~1 second/reaction) using small quantities of reaction mixtures (nanograms) in an array format to assess product yields as a function of several parameters, such as reactants, pH, catalysts, ligands, stoichiometric ratios, order of addition, temperature, solvent, and substrate. HT reaction screening will help build a library of functionalized drugs, in which thousands or millions of drug compounds are rapidly screened. The modified drug library will be further tested using bioassays to identify the most efficient drug. The entire workflow (from synthesis to analysis) will be automated and is intended to be cost-effective by eliminating the cumbersome process of the traditional drug discovery approach.

2. Microdroplet-Promoted Materials Synthesis

Materials synthesis is a cornerstone of chemistry; however, the traditional approach involves technical challenges, such as precision over composition and structure, synthetic throughput, sustainability concerns for using toxic solvents, and high energy inputs. As an alternative, I want to utilize electrospray deposition (ESD) of microdroplets containing precursors on a grounded substrate, where a much higher chemical specificity of materials and precision can be achieved using mass-selected ions. This microdroplet-promoted synthesis has considerable advantages over traditional methods, providing control over the chemical identity, morphology, thickness, and surface patterning of materials while avoiding high temperatures, additives, ligands, and reducing agents. Moreover, this method utilizes accelerated chemical reactions occurring in microdroplets and is expected to provide fast nucleation, which is crucial for rapid, controlled, and efficient material formation. I plan to translate this synthetic method into a sustainable and efficient method for obtaining a range of materials, such as nanomaterials, MOFs, COFs, and polymers. Furthermore, it will provide considerable opportunities to optimize materials for applications such as catalysts, electronic devices, batteries, and sensors.

3. Automated Biomarker Discovery by Mass Spectrometry Imaging

The spatial distribution of molecular species in a sample is crucial for gaining key insights into biological, chemical, and physiological processes. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has emerged as an important label-free bioanalytical tool that provides the spatial distribution of biomarkers in biological samples. A biomarker is a chemical with measurable characteristics that indicates a normal or abnormal process, a healthy or diseased state, and a specific condition related to the body. MSI by DESI-MS has emerged as an excellent tool for biomarker discovery because of its ambient analysis without sample preparation, untargeted analysis, wide range of analytes (peptides, proteins, lipids, glycans, metabolites), and tissue histology. I plan to utilize an automated HT-DESI-based MSI scanning of the tissue surface to record the mass spectrum from each spot, which will finally be processed into an image based on the ion intensity of biomarker analytes. In addition, I will also look for novel biomarkers that can be used to understand the disease state of the sample. It can also be used as a point-of-care device to locate tumors and malignant cells and their spread in tissues, which will guide a surgeon to carry out tumor surgery effectively and open an avenue for collaboration with the health sector.

4. Investigation of the Origin of Life in Microdroplets

Recent research suggests that atmospheric aerosols/microdroplets act as prebiotic chemical reactors that synthesize biological molecules in the absence of enzymes. The famous Miller-Urey experiment demonstrated the abiotic synthesis of amino acids from a gaseous mixture in the presence of electrical discharge. The chemistry of the origin of life centers on condensation reactions that create biopolymers (e.g., peptides and nucleosides) from monomers (e.g., amino acids and nucleobases). However, a sound understanding of the catalytic role of microdroplets in biopolymerization is lacking. I am interested in exploring the catalytic role of atmospheric aerosols in polypeptide formation using ambient mass spectrometry analysis. I plan to study aerosols/microdroplets of the appropriate dimensions through electrospray, the Leidenfrost effect, acoustic, and aerodynamic levitations. All these phenomena, along with the analysis of key reactive intermediates, will help reveal the mystery of the origin of life occurring in atmospheric aerosols or microdroplets.

5. Tracking Chemical Evolution of New Particle Formation (NPF) and its Impact on Atmospheric Chemistry

New particle formation (NPF) is the source for ~50% of global cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) formation, substantially affecting cloud properties and Earth’s energy balance. Much of the previous research on NPF has focused on inorganic compounds like sulfuric acid, ammonia, and ions. However, the role of organic compounds is equally important in NPF nucleation and remains a puzzle. The organic-mediated NPF nucleation is poorly understood due to the low abundances of organic compounds in most regions and the lack of high-resolution analytical tools. I am eager to understand the role of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in NPF nucleation by high-resolution ambient mass spectrometry, which is ideally suited due to its high sensitivity and molecular specificity. The low abundance of analytes is a major challenge in atmospheric research; however, mass spectrometry provides accurate mass measurement at the parts per million level, along with structural information via MS/MS analysis. With a prior understanding of microdroplet chemistry, I will assess the effects of temperature, relative humidity, pH, stoichiometric ratio, and concentrations, and will also correlate the results with the data obtained from direct field studies from different environments, such as rural, urban, ocean, and forest regions at different altitudes, for a holistic understanding of the mechanisms behind NPF.

1. J. Ghosh, N. M. Morato, W. LeFever, and R. G. Cooks, Accelerated and Green Synthesis of N,S- and N,O-Heterocycles in Microdroplets, Journal of the American Chemical Society 2026, 148, 2920-2929. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c12522

    

2. J. Ghosh, and R. G. Cooks, Accelerated Click Reactions using Boronic Acids for Heterocyclic Synthesis in Microdroplets, Chemical Science 2025, 16, 8800-8806. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SC00851D

    

3. J. Ghosh, N. M. Morato, Y. Feng, and R. G. Cooks, High-Throughput Drug Derivatization and Bioassay by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, ChemPlusChem 2025, 90, e202500164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202500164

    

4. J. Ghosh, G. Vishwakarma, R. Kumar, and T. Pradeep, Formation and Transformation of Clathrate Hydrates under Interstellar Conditions, Accounts of Chemical Research 2023, 56, 2241-2252. Journal Cover DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00317

    

5. J. Ghosh, J. Mendoza, and R. G. Cooks, Accelerated and Concerted Aza-Michael Addition and SuFEx Reaction in Microdroplets in Unitary and High-Throughput Formats, Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2022, 61, e202214090. (Selected as a Hot Paper) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202214090

    

6. J. Ghosh, R. R. J. Methikkalam, R. G. Bhuin, G. Ragupathy, N. Choudhary, R. Kumar, and T. Pradeep, Clathrate Hydrates in Interstellar Environment, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) 2019, 116, 1526-1531. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1814293116

• Featured in The Hindu, The Deccan Herald, The Hindu Business Line, NDTV.

• Featured in BBC News and Rajya Sabha TV.

   

7. J. Ghosh, and R. G. Cooks, Mass Spectrometry in Materials Synthesis, TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 2023, 161, 117010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2023.117010

    

8. J. Ghosh, and R. G. Cooks, Facile Synthesis of Triazoles using Electrospray-Deposited Copper Nanomaterials to Catalyze Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (AAC) Click Reactions, ChemPlusChem 2022, 87, 10, e202200252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202200252

    

9. J. Ghosh, R. G. Bhuin, G. Vishwakarma, and T. Pradeep, Formation of Cubic Ice via Clathrate Hydrate, Prepared in Ultrahigh Vacuum at Cryogenic Conditions, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2020, 11, 26-32. (Featured as ACS LiveSlides) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b03063

    

10. J. Ghosh, R. R. J. Methikkalam, R. G. Bhuin, G. Ragupathy, N. Choudhary, R. Kumar, and T. Pradeep, Reply to Choukroun et al.: IR and TPD Data Suggest the Formation of Clathrate Hydrates in Laboratory Experiments Simulating ISM, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) 2019, 116, 14409-14410. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.190589411

     

11. J. Ghosh, G. Vishwakarma, S. Das, and T. Pradeep, Facile Crystallization of Ice I_h via Formaldehyde Hydrate in Ultrahigh Vacuum under Cryogenic Conditions, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2021, 125, 4532-4539. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c10367

     

12. J. Ghosh, R. G. Bhuin, G. Ragupathy, and T. Pradeep, Spontaneous Formation of Tetrahydrofuran Hydrate in Ultrahigh Vacuum, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2019, 123, 16300-16307. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b04370

     

13. J. Ghosh, A. K. Hariharan, R. G. Bhuin, R. R. J. Methikkalam, and T. Pradeep, Propane and Propane-Water Interactions: A Study at Cryogenic Temperatures, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2018, 20, 1838-1847. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CP06467E

     

14. K-H. Huang,^† J. Ghosh,^† S. Xu, and R. G. Cooks, Late-Stage Functionalization and Characterization of Drugs by High-Throughput Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, ChemPlusChem 2021, 87, 1, e202100449. ^†Equal contribution DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202100449

     

15. R. R. J. Methikkalam,^† J. Ghosh,^† R. G. Bhuin, S. Bag, G. Ragupathy, and T. Pradeep, Iron Assisted Formation of CO₂ over Condensed CO and Its Relevance to Interstellar Chemistry, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2020, 22, 8491-8498. (Selected as a 2020 PCCP HOT Article) ^†Equal contribution DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C9CP06983F

     

16. G. Vishwakarma, B. K. Malla, S. Chowdhury, J. Ghosh, R. R. J. Methikkalam, R. Kumar, and T. Pradeep, Ultraviolet photolysis of CO₂ clathrate hydrate and H₂O-CO₂ mixed ice under ultrahigh vacuum, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2025, 27, 11025-11035. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5CP00620A

     

17. G. Vishwakarma, B. K. Malla, K. S. S. V. P. Reddy, J. Ghosh, S. Chowdhury, S. R. K. C. Y. Sharma, S. K. Reddy, R. Kumar, and T. Pradeep, Induced Migration of CO₂ from Hydrate Cages to Amorphous Solid Water under Ultrahigh Vacuum and Cryogenic Conditions, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2023, 14, 2823-2829. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00373

     

18. G. Vishwakarma, J. Ghosh, and T. Pradeep, Desorption-induced evolution of cubic and hexagonal ices in an ultrahigh vacuum and cryogenic temperatures, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 2021, 23, 24052-24060. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D1CP03872A

     

19. S. Bag, A. Baksi, S. H. Nandam, D. Wang, X.Ye, J. Ghosh, T. Pradeep, and H. Hahn, Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensing using Ni₆₀Nb₄₀ Nanoglass, ACS Nano 2020, 14, 5543-5552. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.9b09778

     

20. D. Ghosh, M. Bodiuzzaman, A. Som, S. Raja, A. Baksi, A. Ghosh, J. Ghosh, A. Ganesh, P. Samji, S. Mahalingam, D. Karunagaran, and T. Pradeep, Internalization of a Preformed Atomically Precise Silver Cluster in Proteins and Emergence of Luminescent Counterparts Retaining Bioactivity, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2019, 123, 29408-29417. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b07765

     

21. A. Nag, A. Baksi, J. Ghosh, V. Kumar, S. Bag, B. Mondal, T. Ahuja, and T. Pradeep, Tribochemical Degradation of Polytetrafluoroethylene in Water Assisted by Carbohydrates and Generation of Nanoplastics, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2019, 7, 17554-17558. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b03573

     

22. A. Jana, S. K. Jana, D. Sarkar, T. Ahuja, P. Basuri, B. Mondal, S. Bose, J. Ghosh, and T. Pradeep, Electrospray Deposition-Induced Ambient Phase Transition in Copper Sulphide Nanostructures, Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2019, 7, 6387-6394. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C9TA00003H

     

23. E. Khatun, A. Ghosh, P. Chakraborty, P. Singh, Md. Bodiuzzaman, G. Paramasivam, G. Nataranjan, J. Ghosh, S. K. Pal, and T. Pradeep, A Thirty-Fold Photoluminescence Enhancement Induced by Secondary Ligands in Monolayer Protected Silver Clusters, Nanoscale 2018, 10, 20033-20042. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NR05989F

     

24. B. Mondal, A. Mahendranath, A. Som, S. Bose, T. Ahuja, A. A. Kumar, J. Ghosh, and T. Pradeep, Rapid Reaction of MoS₂ Nanosheets with Pb²⁺ and Pb⁴⁺ Ions in Solution, Nanoscale 2018, 10, 1807-1814. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C7NR07523E

     

25. R. R. J. Methikkalam, R. G. Bhuin, J. Ghosh, B. Sivaraman, and T. Pradeep, Interaction of Acetonitrile with Alcohols at Cryogenic Temperatures, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2017, 121, 2822-2835. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b11483

     

26. V. Jeseentharani, N. Pugazhenthiran, A. Mathew, I. Chakraborty, A. Baksi, J. Ghosh, M. Jash, G.S. Anjusree, T. G. Deepak, A. Sreekumaran Nair, and T. Pradeep, Atomically Precise Noble Metal Clusters Harvest Visible Light to Produce Energy, Chemistry Select 2017, 2, 1454-1463. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/slct.201601730

1. A Process for Low Temperature, Low Pressure Synthesis of Clathrate Hydrates, T. Pradeep, J. Ghosh, R. R. J. Methikkalam, R. G. Bhuin, G. Ragupathy, N. Choudhary, and R. Kumar, Patent No. 356814, filed on December 29, 2018. (Patent granted)

2. Tribochemical Method for Degradation of Polymers in Water, T. Pradeep, A. Nag, A. Baksi, J. Ghosh, V. Kumar, S. Bag, B. Mondal, and T. Ahuja, Patent No. 378255, filed on September, 2019. (Patent granted)

3. Removal of Lead from wastewater using Nanoscale MoS₂, T. Pradeep, B. Mondal, A. Mahendranath, A. Som, S. Bose, T. Ahuja, A. A. Kumar, and J. Ghosh, IDF 1584, 201741044447 filed on December 11, 2017. Filed as PCT/IN2018/50814, December 05, 2018. (US Patent granted)

4. Synthesis of Protein Protected Luminescent Metal Clusters and Retaining the Bioactivity of the Protein, T. Pradeep, D. Ghosh, Md. Bodiuzzaman, A. Som, A. Baksi, A. Ghosh, and J. Ghosh, Patent No. 495343, filed on December 31, 2018. (Patent granted)

5. Removal of Lead from wastewater using Nanoscale MoS₂, T. Pradeep, B. Mondal, A. Mahendranath, A. Som, S.  Bose, T. Ahuja, A. A. Kumar, and J. Ghosh, Patent No. 365164 filed on December 11, 2017. (Patent granted)