Members

Current Group Members                    

Prachi Dilwalia

Prachi joined the group in Fall 2025 after her MS degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Patna. Her research focuses on designing new MOF compositions with unique photophysical properties towards challenging photocatalysis.

 

 

Subham Mudi

Subham joined the group in Fall 2025 after his MS degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad. His research focuses on examining photo-induced charge transfer dynamics and radical ion-pair states in MOF.

 

 

Past Group Members

  • Dr. Bapan Saha (2026), postdoc; worked on developing new MOF with unique photophysical properties, leading to artificial heterogeneous PS-I and high-energy triplets. 
  • Saheli Khamaru (2026), MS; work focused on MOF photocatalysis.
  • Dr. Sreehari Surendran Rajasree (2025), Ph.D., dissertation work focused on MOF photophysics and utilization to photocatalysis.
  • Riya Krishnan (2024): worked on MOF photocatalysis
  • Dr. Xinlin Li (2022) Ph.D.; dissertation work on charge transfer and transport in MOFs
  • Dr. Venkatesh Gude (2022), postdoc; worked on linker synthesis and triplets in MOFs
  • Karan Maindan (2022) MS; thesis encompassed the exploration of photocatalysis in MOFs and their electrochemical aspects.
  • Dr. Jierui Yu (2021) Ph.D.; dissertation work spans the photophysical properties of MOF-assembled molecular chromophores; moved to USC (postdoc).

 

Undergraduates

  • Patrick Donahue (2025) NSF-REU from Cornell University; worked on MOF photocatalysis.
  • Grant M. Kelly (2022-2024) SIUC-UG, worked on MOF-based photocatalysis.
  • Tim Slusarczyk (2023) NSF-REU from Indiana Wesleyan University; worked on MOF synthesis and photocatalysis.
  • Adzo Justine Ikavi (2022) NSF-REU from Old Dominion University; worked on MOF photocatalysis.
  • Jacob Kelley (2021) SIUC-UG/NSF-REU: worked on MOF-based photochemistry.
  • Brendan MacAins (2019) NSF-REU from SEMO; worked on metalloporphyrin MOF synthesis and studied their photophysics; (UoI UC).
  • Tanner Smith (2015-2017) SIUC-UG; worked on various optoelectronically active MOF synthesis and physical studies. In Fall 2018, Tanner joined The U. Kentucky Ph.D. program.
  • Andrea Van Wyk (2017) NSF-REU from Simpson College, IA;  worked on MOF photophysics and photo-induced charge-transfer process. In Fall 2019, Andrea joined the U. Iowa PhD program.
  • Sandra Nicole White (2016) NSF-REU from Alabama A&M University; worked on MOF synthesis and their electrochemistry.