Gayathri Manoj
- Email: sjbc8657@leeds.ac.uk
- Thesis title: Mechanistic Understanding of the Formation of Squaric-Acid-Based Functional Organic Multi-Component Materials (Funded by EPSRC and in collaboration with the School of Chemical and Process Engineering and Diamond Light Source.)
- Supervisors: Dr Anuradha R. Pallipurath , Professor Sven L. M. Schroeder, Dr Lucy Saunders (Diamond Light Source), Dr Daniel Irving (Diamond Light Source)
Profile
I hold an Integrated Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Hyderabad, India and have been actively involved in research on organic materials and crystallography.
Research interests
My research focuses on understanding the formation mechanisms of functional organic multicomponent materials based on squaric acid combined with various coformers such as benzimidazole. These materials often exhibit unique properties like thermochromism and antiferromagnetism, making them promising for applications in smart sensors and electronic devices. To investigate the crystallization process from solution to solid-state, I use a combination of advanced techniques including X-ray total scattering (XPDF) on beamline I15-1 and high-resolution powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) on beamline I11 at Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron facility. Complementing these with Raman spectroscopy, I track molecular conformational changes in situ and develop correlative methods to better understand the molecular dynamics during crystallization. This interdisciplinary work is jointly conducted at Diamond and the University of Leeds, contributing new insights into the design and analysis of complex organic materials.
Qualifications
- Integrated MSc in Chemical Sciences from University of Hyderabad (Graduated in June 2024)