Dr.

Sushil Sitaram Khopkar

M.Sc. (Organic Chemistry), Ph.D. (Organic Chemistry)

Address: Room No. 202, B Wing, Om Sai Apartment

Mumbra Devi Colony Road, Sadguru Nagar
Diva (East), Thane-400612 (India).
Mobile: +91 9137433834/7045329397
E-mail: Sushilkhopkar.131@gmail.com
Gender: Male | Date of birth: 22-07-1991 | Nationality: Indian | Blood group: B (+ve) | Languages
known: Marathi, English, Hindi | Marital status: Married.

OBJECTIVE:
Seeking a long-term challenging research position to utilize my skills and abilities in order to achieve
the organizational goals and to become a part of a dynamic research team.

RESEARCH AREAS:

1) Organic synthetic methodologies

➢ Development of novel synthetic methodologies (with catalyst and under catalyst-free
conditions) to achieve higher yield of products in less reaction time.
➢ Development of cost-effective organic methodologies.

2) Design and synthesis of novel polyols and polyesters (Polymers)

➢ Design and synthesis of novel fatty acids-based polyols for polyurethanes applications
➢ Design and synthesis of polyesters for plasticizers applications
➢ Design and synthesis of polyamines and imidazoles as epoxy curing agents (epoxy curatives)

3) Design and synthesis of speciality chemicals (Oleochemicals)

➢ Design and synthesis of castor oil, sebacic acid, undecylenic acid, heptaldehyde and 2-octanol-
based speciality chemicals (Oleochemicals) for cosmetics, surfactants and plasticizers
applications
4) Dyes synthesis
➢ Design and synthesis of novel dyes to achieve targeted photophysical properties for various
applications
➢ Development of novel synthetic routes in dyes and dyes intermediates synthesis to achieve
higher yield of products.

INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

Jayant Agro-Organics Ltd (JAOL), Andheri, Mumbai.

Position: Synthetic Research and Development Chemist Period: August 2019- Till date

Research Areas: 1. Oleochemicals

2. Organic Synthetic method development
3. Synthesis, process development and scale up of oleochemicals and fatty acids
4. Reactions: Esterification, Transesterification, Bromination, Amidation, ,
Amination, Imidazoline formation, Sulfonation, Sulfation, Hydrogenation,
Epoxidations, Oxidations, Saponification, Epoxide ring opening by amines and
alcohols and Phosphorylation.
5. Polyols for Polyurethanes
6. Polyesters as plasticizers
7. Polyester polyols
8. Epoxy Curatives

Work Summary: 1. Synthesis and process development of plasticizers based on Sebacic acid and 2-
octanol (a) Di- capryl sebacate (DCS) (b) Di-methyl sebacate (DMS) (c) Di-butyl
sebacate (DBS) (d) Di-capryl phthalate (DCP) (e) Di-capryl adipate (DCA) (f) Di-
capryl maleate (g) Tri-octyl trimellitate (TOTM) (h) Dicapryl terephthalate (i) Di-
isodecyl sebacate (DIDS).
2. Synthesis and process development ricinoleic acid-based products such as (a)
Ricinoleic acid maleate (b) epoxidized methyl ricinoleate (EMR) (c) ring opening of
epoxidized methyl ricinoleate by alcohol (propanediol, butanol, TMP) and amines
(diethanolamine, ethylene diamine, diethylenetriamine).
3. Synthesis of novel imidazolines and oxazolines based on fatty acids, ricinoleic acid
and methyl ricinoleate.
 4. Synthesis of sebacic acid, octanol, undecylenic acid, heptaldehyde-based
speciality chemicals such as (a) Sebaconitrile (b) Decanediammine (c) Heptanoic
acid (d) Zinc-undecylenate (e) 11-Bromoundecanoic acid (f) 11-Aminoundecanoic
acid.
5. Improvement of UV transmission of crude Sebacic acid by chemical treatment or
purification.
6. Synthesis of salicylates, maleates and glycidyl ethers based on 2-octanol, castor oil
and fatty acids for cosmetics applications.
7. Synthesis of fatty acid-based surfactants such as sodium capryl ether sulphate
(SCES).
8. Synthesis of phosphated polyols for flame retardant foam applications.
9. Synthesis of Polyester polyols based on sebacic acid.

PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

Synthesis skills:
1. Good experience in the synthesis of (a) Polyols (b) Polyesters (c) Polyamines (d) Polyamidoamines
(e) Polyimidazoles. (f) Polyester polyols.
2. Good in multi-step synthesis.
3. Good in organic synthetic methodologies.
4. Good experience in the synthesis of (a) Squarylium dyes (b) Azo dyes (c) Anthraquinone dyes
(d) Styryl dyes (e) Phthalocyanine dyes.
5. Hold good experience of scaling- up the reactions from milligram to gram to kilo- scale.
6. Hold good hand in the purification of organic compounds by re-crystallization and column
chromatography.
7. Good in reaction progress determination by (a) thin layer chromatography (b) by titrations such
as acid value, hydroxyl value, iodine value, oxirane value determination (c) GC-HPLC, GPC
8. Hold good hand in high pressure autoclave reactions.
9. Good in vacuum distillation and fractional distillation.

Analytical skills:
1. Instruments Handled: FT-IR, UV-Visible Spectrophotometer, Spectrofluorometer, Cyclic
Voltammetry, Karl Fisher titration and Rotary evaporator.
2. Wet analysis: Acid value, amine value, hydroxyl value, saponification value, iodine value,
peroxide value.
3. Interpretation of organic compounds by using various analytical techniques such as IR, UV, Mass,
NMR, GC, GC-MS, HR-MS, HPLC, GPC, DSC-TGA etc.
4. Ability to correlate experimental results with theoretical studies with the aid of DFT
computations.

Technical skills:
1. Good in documentation of records, writing research articles for publications.
2. Good in writing ISO experimental sheets and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of
synthesized products.
3. Expert in handling chemistry related software like Origin, Chem Draw, Chem Sketch, Mnova NMR
software and Turbomole-V6.5 software.
4. Web Tools handled: SciFinder, SCI-HUB, Reaxys, Patent search (E-spacenet), Scopus, Google
Scholar, Mendeley.

Subject skills:
Familiar with oleochemistry, dyes synthesis, organic synthetic methodologies, Polymer chemistry,
retrosynthesis, organic name reactions, functional group transformations, spectroscopic studies such
as NMR, FT-IR, Mass, UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, photochemistry, electrochemistry.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
Oct. 2013 - May 2019: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – Organic Chemistry
Research Topic: “Synthesis of novel NIR absorbing squarylium dyes and
study of their photophysical properties and applications”
Advisor: Prof. (Dr.) Ganapati Subray Shankarling
University: Department of Dyestuff Technology, Institute of Chemical
Technology, Mumbai, India.
Research Publications: 11

July 2011 - April 2013: Master of Science (M. Sc.) - Organic Chemistry
Research Topic: “Antidiabetic activity of hibiscus rosasinesis leaf extract”
Advisor: Prof. (Dr.) Gangadhar Meshram
University: Department of Chemistry, University of Mumbai, Santacruz (E),
Mumbai.
Higher First Class (71.00 %).
July 2008 - April 2011: Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) - Chemistry
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mahad,
Raigad.
First Class with Distinction (76.13%).

July 2006 - Feb 2008: Higher Secondary Education (HSC)

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mahad,
Raigad.
First Class (66.83 %).

July 2005 - Mar 2006: School of Secondary Education (SSC)

G.D. Ambekar High School, Birwadi, Mahad, Raigad.
First Class with Distinction (75.86 %)

AWARDS AND HONORS

No. Achievement Award/Honor

Best Thesis Award Dr. Ram Sabnis Endowment Best Thesis Award, 2019
1
(Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai)

2 Best Poster Award “8th International Convention on Colorants- 2019”

(The Club, Andheri, 28th Feb and 1st March 2019)

3 First rank- T.Y.B.Sc Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College Award, 2011.

(Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College, Mahad)

PROJECT HANDLED DURING PH. D. TENURE

1. All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE): “Synthesis of novel perimidine and quinaldine
based NIR absorbing squaraine dyes and study of their thermal and photophysical properties.”

2. Transition Optical Incorporation Ltd, USA: “Synthesis of azo and anthraquinone-based colorants.”
RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

1. Sushil Khopkar, Saurabh Deshpande and Ganapati Shankarling, “Greener protocol for the
synthesis of NIR fluorescent indolenine-based symmetrical squaraine colorants”
ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering 2018, 6(8), 10798-10805; DOI:
org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b02095.

2. Sushil Khopkar, Mahesh Jachak and Ganapati Shankarling, “Novel semisquaraines based on 2, 3,
3, 8-tetramethyl-3H-pyrrolo [2, 3- f] quinoline: Synthesis, photophysical properties, AIE, viscosity
sensitivity and DFT study”
Dyes and Pigments 2019, 161, 1-15; DOI: org/10.1016/j.dyepig.2018.09.026.

3. Sushil Khopkar, Mahesh Jachak and Ganapati Shankarling, “Novel A2-D-A1-D-A2 type NIR
absorbing symmetrical squaraines based on 2, 3, 3, 8-tetramethyl-3H-pyrrolo [3, 2-h] quinoline:
Synthesis, photophysical, electrochemical, thermal properties and photostability study”
Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 2019, 211, 114−124;
DOI: org/10.1016/j.saa.2018.11.061.

4. Sushil Khopkar, Mahesh Jachak and Ganapati Shankarling, “Viscosity sensitive

semisquaraines based on 1, 1, 2-trimethyl-1Hbenzo[e]indole: Photophysical properties,
intramolecular charge transfer, solvatochromism, electrochemical and DFT study”
Journal of molecular liquids 2019, 285, 123-135; DOI: org/10.1016/j.molliq.2019.03.173.

5. Sushil Khopkar, and Ganapati Shankarling, “Synthesis, photophysical properties and

applications of NIR absorbing unsymmetrical squaraines: A review”
Dyes and Pigments 2019, 161, 107645; DOI: org/10.1016/j.dyepig.2019.107645.

6. Sushil Khopkar and Ganapati Shankarling, “Squaric acid: an impressive organocatalyst for the
synthesis of biologically relevant 2, 3-dihydro-1H-perimidines in water”
Journal of Chemical Sciences 2020, 132 (1), 31; DOI: org/10.1007/s12039-019-1735-1.

7. Saurabh Deshpande, Sushil Khopkar and Ganapati Shankarling, “A thiazoloquinoxaline based

“turn-on” chemodosimeter for detection of copper ions”
Dyes and Pigments 2017, 147, 393–399; DOI: org/10.1016/j.dyepig.2017.08.037.

8. Saurabh Deshpande, Mahesh Jachak, Sushil Khopkar and Ganapati Shankarling, “A simple
substituted spiropyran acting as a photo reversible switch for the detection of lead (Pb2+) ions”
Sensors and Actuators, B: Chemical 2018, 258, 648-656; DOI: org/10.1016/j.snb.2017.11.138.

9. Mahesh Jachak, Sushil Khopkar, Ankur Chaturvedi, Amruta Joglekar and Ganapati Shankarling,
“Synthesis of novel viscosity sensitive pyrrolo-quinaldine based styryl dyes: Photophysical
 properties, electrochemical and DFT study”
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry 2020, 397, 112557; DOI:
org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2020.112557.

10. Mahesh Jachak, Sushil Khopkar, Khushbu Patel, Yogesh Patil and Ganapati Shankarling,
“Synthesis of novel d-π-A chromophores: Effect of structural manipulations on photophysical
properties, viscosity and DFT study”
Journal of molecular structure 2021, 1233, 130086; DOI: org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.130086.

11. Mahesh Jachak, Sushil Khopkar, Viral Mehta, Rupali Bhise and Ganapati Shankarling, “Synthesis
of A2-D2-A1-D1 type red-emitting unsymmetrical squaraine dye: Influence of additional pyridine
moiety on photophysical, electrochemical, photo and thermal stability”
Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 2022, 273, 121019;
DOI: org/10.1016/j.saa.2022.121019..

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

1. Mentorship: Ph.D ( Mr. Mahesh Jachak) and 2 two M.Tech ( Ms. Manjusha Bharose and Ms.
Vidula Kamble) students during Ph.D. tenure.
2. Mentorship: Leading a research team of one M.Sc. and two B. Tech holders at JAOL and
reporting to senior R&D manager.