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Welcome to the Kundu Research Group!
Our research group is interested in experimental mechanics of various synthetic and biological soft materials, particularly, nature and origin of network structure for these materials, and how these materials interact with complex interfaces, deform under stress, and can be processed into useful products.
Large-strain deformation of polymer gels
cavitation&LAOS

Deformation behavior of polymer gels at large strain, particulalry how these materials cavitate or fracture is being investigated as a function of gel microstructure.
Effect of temperature on shear-thickening fluids
STF

For potential applications in micrometroid shielding, the effect of temperature on shear-thickening fluids is being investigated.

Polymer-graphene systems
graphene

Graphene, graphene-oxide, polymer-grafted graphene nanoparticles are being incorporated in polymer gels and polymer composites to improve mechanical properties and to introduce other functionalities such as radiation-shielding.

Mechanical properties of biopolymer networks
mucus

To understand the mucociliary clearance process and pathogenesis of various diseases, mechanical properties of mammalian mucus (human, porcine, equine) -biopolymer networks- are being investigated as a function of microstructure.

News

02.07.20: We welcome Dr. Dineshkumar Sengottuvelu, new postdoctoral researcher in our group.

11.14.19: Santanu attended the AIChE meeting. We had a poster and Santanu chaired a session on Polymer Networks and gels.

08.26.19: Our first paper on graphene oxide containing desalination membranes synthesized uisng layer-by-layer process is published in Desalination journal. Good work Mahsa!

07.01.19: We have an opening for a postdoctoral researcher in our group. Apply here Link

06.10.19: Santanu is visiting Imperial College-London and Prof. Valeria Garbin group to give a presentation and discuss research.

06.02.19: Santanu is attending the International Soft Matter Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland and will give a talk and present a poster on our gel work.

01.11.19: We would like to welcome two new students in the group: Kyle Callahan (MS) and Humayun Ahmad (PhD).

08.24.18: Our group has received support of about $1MM from over next 5 years to conduct research on optoelectronic materails https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/09/state-mississippi-awarded-20-million-establish-center-emergent-molecular/

08.24.18: Santanu is on sabbatical at Columbia University for a year! Working with Prof. Sanat Kumar, learning new things in polymer physics, membranes, scattering.

08.24.18: Santanu has been promoted with tenure to associate professor position. Also, awarded with Southern Ionics Chair position.

08.17.18: our paper on the failure behavior of styrene-isoprene-styrene gels is published in Soft Matter. We investigated tensile, creep, and fracture behavior and linked that to rheological responses. DOI:10.1039/C8SM01397G

08.17.18: Mahsa and Santanu attended the Gordon Research Conference on "Membranes: Materials and Processes". It was a great conference!

06.29.18: Mahsa has been selected to attend the Gordon Research Conference on "Membranes: Materials and Processes". She will be presenting a poster on graphene oxide embedded RO membrane. Well done, Mahsa !

06.06.18: Rosa has been selected to attend the summer school on the Methods and Applications of Small-Angle Neutron Scattering and Neutron Reflectivity. NIST Center for Neutron Research.

05.04.18: Dr. Mahla Zabet, second PhD student from our group, is hooded. She is enjoying her reseach and development activities in Cooper Tires. Congratulations, Mahla!

12.12.17: Our work on the effect of carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide nanoplatelets on shear thickening behavior is available online, http://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.7b01484

11.16.17: Mahla successfully defended her thesis! Congratulations, Dr. Zabet!

11.01.17: Ran's paper Carbon nanodots crosslinked photoluminescent alginate hydrogelsis online in RSC Advances.

10.03.17: Satish's paper Effect of Surface Tension and Geometry on Cavitation in Soft Solids accepted in International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics!

07.29.17: Kevin Trinh, the REU student worked in our lab during summer received the first prize in the undergraduate poster competition. Congratulations Kevin!

07.17.17: Our paper on rheology of molecular gel published in Langmuir.

06.22.17: Meysam successfully defended his PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Hashemnejad.

05.05.17: Combined experimental and computational work on low molecular weight gelator with Rai Research Group @rai_neeraj2 @ACS_Omega.

03.17.17: Great APS conference! Meysam presented in the Padden Award Symposium.Satish gave a podium talk.

06.23.16: Two weeks summer program Research Experiences for Teachers will be offered from July 11th - July 22nd. Please contact for additional details.

04.26.16: Igor received the first prize in the undergraduate poster competition. Congratulations Igor!

04.18.16: Meysam's paper on alginate gels, Strain Stiffening and Negative Normal Stress in Alginate Hydrogels, has been accepted in the Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics.

03.16.16: Presented an invited talk in the ACS conference.

12.04.15: Gave a departmental seminar at the Chemical Engineering Dept of MIT yesterday. Great visit!

11.13.15: Great AIChE meeting! 4 oral and 2 poster presentations from the group.

08.15.15: Mahsa Abbaszadeh joins the Soft Materials Laboratory as a graduate student. Welcome Mahsa!

08.10.15: Mahla's first paper accepted to RSC Advances. Effect of graphene on the self-assembly and rheological behavior of a triblock copolymer gel. DOI:10.1039/C5RA13672E. Congratulations Mahlsa!

08.10.15: Effect of temperature on shear-thickening fluids has been published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b05094.

06.03.15: Great Rheo-USANS and Rheo-SANS experiments at NCNR, NIST.

06.01.15: REU students, Evan Dolling (UFL) and Justyn Forehand (NCSU) start working in our group. Welcome!

04.20.15: Meysam's paper accepted into Soft Matter (DOI: 10.1039/C5SM00330J). Congratulations Meysam!

04.16.15: Great to host high-school students in our lab as a part of Mississippi State University E-day program.

03.19.15: Mahla's AIChE presentation has been selected as a best presentation of her session. Congratulation Mahla!

01.26.15: Kinsey and Kevin received funding for undergraduate research from College of Engineering. Congratulations!

01.15.15: Kevin Igor joins the Soft Materials Laboratory as an undergraduate researcher. Welcome Kevin!

12.18.14: Presented at the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India. Great hospitality!

10.14.14: Presented in the Chemical Engineering Department, IIT Bombay. Thank you Prof. Malani for hosting me.

10.14.14: Attended SMATDAP kick-off meeting at Tulane University.

10.13.14: A collabortaive project with Prof. S.Narasimha Murthy of the University of Mississippi has been funded by FDA.

10.01.14: Undergraduate researcher, Jasmine Ross, joins theSoft Materials Laboratory. Welcome Jasmine!

08.18.14: Satish Mishra joins the Soft Materials Laboratory as a graduate student. Welcome Satish!

08.11.14: Mucus rheology paper accepted to RSC Advances.

08.05.14: Louisiana and Mississippi polymer researchers are awarded a grant from NSF. http://1.usa.gov/1kmGWsU.

07.31.14: Congratulations to Dennis for receiving the 2nd place in the Undergraduate Research Symposium poster presentation.

06.24.14: Proposal to access small angle x-ray facility at CNMS, ORNL has been awarded.

06.24.14: Welcome Dennis Omari (REU student from Ohio State University) to our group.

05.02.14: Instrument time at the NIST Center for Neutron Research to study the microstructure of shear-thickening fluids has been granted.

03.25.14: Dr. Kundu has received the National Science Foundation CAREER award.

03.17.14: Dr. Kundu delivered an invited talk on 'Deformation behavior of a strain stiffening gels' in ACS Spring 2014 Meeting.

Contact

352 Swalm Chemical (office)
270 Swalm Chemical (lab)
323 Presidents Circle
PO Box 9595
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS, 39762

Ph: +1-662-325-7323
Fax: +1-662-325-2482
Email:santanukundu@che.msstate.edu