Hitesh Thaker Email & Phone Number

I am a PhD student in Polymer Science and Engineering Department.1. Expert in the synthesis and homopolymerization as well as block copolymerization of metal-containing monomers by Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP).2. Expert in the design and synthesis of small molecules for new generation antimicrobial compounds.3. Experienced with polymer characterization techniques with expertise on gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), mass spectrometry (MS), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and fluorescence spectroscopy.4. Extensive experience in small molecule separation, purification and characterization including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC).Research: 1. Synthesized novel ferrocene and cobalt containing norbornene based monomers and studied their homo/block polymerization via ROMP. Successfully tuned the room temperature magnetic properties of cobalt containing cylindrical block copolymers by effective dilution of the cobalt density by means of increasing the ratio of ferrocene to cobalt in the cylindrical block domain. 2. Designed and synthesized a novel series of synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides (SMAMPs) using Suzuki coupling with variation in hydrogen bonding capability and overall hydrophobicity. The results indicated that the overall hydrophobicity had a more significant impact on antimicrobial and hemolytic activity of the molecules than the conformational stiffness due to hydrogen bonding.3. Tuned the selectivity of these amphiphilic SMAMPs towards bacterial membranes via systematic variation in the size of the central ring, addition of pendant side groups and increasing the overall charge of the molecule. Synthesized and characterized several compounds with very good selectivity against both Gram positive (S. aureus) and Gram negative (E. coli) bacteria based on these design principles.

Daman, India

1. Studied the curing properties of methoxysilane grafted polyethylene (MGP) using tin as catalyst. I extruded MGP into sheets with varying thickness and catalyst concentration and cured the sheets at different temperatures and time scales. The curing properties increased with increase in temperature, time and catalyst concentration and reduced thickness of the samples. 2. Evaluated the effect of plasticizer content on the hardness, volume resistivity, tensile strength of the compounded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets with specific formulations and found out that these properties varied inversely with plasticizer content.

Phd, Polymer Science And Engineering

Activities and Societies: Americal Chemical Society (Polymer and Organic Division)1. Santos Go Memorial Merit Scholarship for the most.

Bachelor Of Technology, Polymer Engineering And Technology

Undergraduate Research Assistant 1. Prepared and studied the properties of mica/flyash reinforced thermoplastic polyester elastomer.