Expertise

Organic and Polymer Synthesis, Nanomaterials Synthesis, Green Chemistry, Ionic Liquids, Anticancer Drugs

Additional Information

Dr. Bhowmik's interests focus on organic and polymer synthesis in general. More specifically, he is interested in developing novel light-emitting and liquid-crystalline polymers for their multitude applications in modern technology, including biosensors. In another project, his team is developing ionic liquids based on the concept of green chemistry, and liquid-crystalline and light-emitting organic salts to make them functional materials. Carbon nanotube-based composite materials based on ionic polymers are of significant interest in their group. In recent years, they are also actively pursuing the development of cisplatin analogs for cancer therapy.

Education

Ph.D., Organic/Polymer Chemistry, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1990.
M.S., Physical/Organic Chemistry, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, 1987.
M.S., Physical/Inorganic Chemistry, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1977.
B.Sc. (Honors), University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1975.

Honors and Awards

• 2014 ACS Fellow: American Chemical Society
• 2014 POLY Fellow: Division of Polymer Chemistry, American Chemical Society
• 2014 Society Service Award: Southern Nevada Section, American Chemical Society
• 2007 Society Service Award: Southern Nevada Section, American Chemical Society

Teaching Awards

• Regents' Teaching Award 2015: UNLV, Nevada System of Higher Education.
• CSUN (Consolidated Students of the University of Nevada) Faculty Excellence Award 2013-2014: College of Sciences, UNLV.
• Distinguished Teacher Award 2012: College of Sciences, UNLV.
• UNLV Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award 2011: University of Nevada Las Vegas.
• CSUN (Consolidated Students of the University of Nevada) Faculty Excellence Award 2010-2011: College of Health Sciences, UNLV.
• UNLV Alumni Outstanding Faculty Member 2010: University of Nevada Las Vegas(UNLV).
• UNLV Foundation Distinguished Teacher Award 2004: University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV).
• Distinguished Teacher Award 2003: College of Sciences, UNLV.
• Professor of the Year 2003: Association of Pre-Health Professionals (APHP), UNLV.
• Professor of the Year 2001: Association of Pre-Health Professionals (APHP), UNLV. 

Liquid-Crystalline Polymers

His principal research projects are in the broad field of liquid-crystalline polymers that typically include thermotropic liquid-crystalline polyesters, thermotropic and lyotropic liquid-crystalline ionic polymers (viologen polymers); thermotropic liquid-crystalline hydrogen bonded materials via supramolecular chemistry, and liquid-crystalline dendritic macromolecules and polyrotaxanes.

Light-Emitting Polymers

Recently, he is actively involved in the design and synthesis of poly(arylated-pyridinium salts) with organic counterions that exhibit both lyotropic liquid-crystalline and light-emitting properties. These polymers are targeted for the development of blue-light emitting polymers with the structural variations of both arylated-pyridinium moieties and organic counterions. They are of significant interest for combining light emitting properties with the self-organization of liquid-crystalline properties to produce linearly polarized electroluminescence. Since they are cationic polyelectrolytes, they can be useful partners for the build up of multilayer assemblies with anionic polyelectrolytes by the well-known sequential deposition technique to create a novel class of materials having specific functional properties-smart materials. All of these projects are the integral components for the development of materials science and engineering program.

Green Chemistry

In another project, he is developing room-temperature liquid-crystalline ionic salts that have great potential as organized reaction media for clean organic synthesis. It is targeted to develop green chemistry to strengthen the environmental chemistry program. Microwave chemistry both in organic synthesis as well as polymer synthesis is also an integral component for the development of green chemistry program.