Faculty Profile

Dr. Milan Pramanik

Assistant Professor

Office: A3-209, South Campus

School of Chemical Sciences

Personal Website: —

E-mail: milan_pramanik@iitmandi.ac.in

Phone: —

Personal Information

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor, IIT Mandi, India (June, 2026 - Present)
Lecturer, Cardiff University, School of Chemistry, UK (January, 2026 - June, 2026)
Postdoctoral Research Associate (BP Industry Funded), Cardiff University, UK (January, 2025 - January, 2026)
Supervisor: Prof. Rebecca Melen; Co-supervisor: Prof. Thomas Wirth
Postdoctoral Research Associate (Leverhulme Trust Funded), Cardiff University, UK (August, 2024 - January, 2025)
Supervisor: Dr. Emma Richards; Co-Supervisor: Prof. Rebecca Melen
Postdoctoral Research Associate (EPSRC Funded), Cardiff University, UK (December, 2022 - July, 2024)
Supervisor: Prof. Rebecca Melen
Visiting Research Fellow, Pusan National University, South Korea (June, 2022 - September, 2022)
Supervisor: Prof. Jin Kyoon Park
Visiting Research Fellow, NISER Bhubaneswar (HBNI), India (February, 2022 - April, 2022)
Supervisor: Prof. Prasenjit Mal

Educational Background

Ph.D: National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, under Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), India, 2016-2022 (Supervisor: Prof. Prasenjit Mal)
M.Sc: (Organic Chemistry), IIT Madras, Tamil Nadu, India, 2014-2016
B.Sc: (Chemistry Hons.), Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, India, 2010-2014

Awards, Recognition and Membership

CRS Young Scientist Award 2022, India.
Outstanding Doctoral Student Award 2022 from Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), India.
Qualified CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test (NET)-2016,2017 and 2018.
Qualified Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering (GATE), 2016.
Qualified Joint Admission Test for MSc in India. (JAM), 2014.
Lifetime Membership: Chirantan Rasayan Sanstha, since 2022.
Lifetime Membership: Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI), since 2021.

Research Area

Broad Area

Sustainable Organic Synthesis, Main Group Catalysis, Chalcogen Chemistry

Specific Areas

Sustainable Organic Synthesis using Enabling Techniques
Organochalcogen Chemistry and Catalysis
Main Group Element Mediated Transformations
Frustrated Lewis Pair Chemistry

Research Interests

Our research focuses on developing sustainable and innovative synthetic methodologies through the integration of enabling technologies, main-group catalysis, chalcogen chemistry, and frustrated radical pair (FRP) chemistry. We utilize photochemistry, flow chemistry, electrochemistry, and green reaction media to design environmentally benign and atom- economical transformations. A major objective of our research is to harness the untapped potential of main-group elements as catalysts for selective bond activation and molecular construction, providing sustainable alternatives to transition-metal-based processes. We are also interested in exploring the unique reactivity of sulfur, selenium, and tellurium compounds, including chalcogen-bonding interactions and redox-active intermediates. In parallel, we investigate frustrated radical pairs as emerging platforms for small-molecule activation and unconventional bond-forming reactions. Our overarching goal is to advance sustainable synthesis through innovative catalytic concepts and mechanistic study.

Courses Taught

CH5102: Foundations of Inorganic Chemistry
CH5202: Structure, bonding and reactivity in compounds of the p and d block elements

Representative Publications

Pramanik, M.; Alotaibi, N.; Boruah, T.; Babaahmadi, R.*; Wirth, T.*; Melen*, R. L. “Thiol–Free Sulfenylation Redefined: A Single–Atom Transfer Pathway to Symmetrical Di(hetero)arylthioethers via B(C₆F₅)₃ Catalysis,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2026, 148, 5325.
Das†, S.; Pramanik†, M.; Westphäling, J.; Gupta, A.; Zysman-Colman, E.; Baik, M. H.; Wirth, T.; Melen*, R. L. “Borane Catalysed Annulative Sulfenylation of Internal Alkynes: Towards the Synthesis and Study of Highly Unsaturated Heterocycles,” Chem. Sci., 2026, 17, 11682.
Alotaibi, N.; Babaahmadi, R.; Das, S.; Richards, E.; Wirth, T.; Pramanik*, M.; Melen*, R. L. B(C₆F₅)₃–Catalysed Regiodivergent Thioetherifications of Alkenes via Thiiranium Intermediates: Experimental and Computational Insights,” Chem. Eur. J. 2025, 31, e202404236.
Pramanik, M.; Das, S.; Babaahmadi, R.; Pahar, S.; Wirth*, T.; Richards, E.; Melen*, R. L. B(C₆F₅)₃–Catalysed Selective C–H Chalcogenation of Arenes and Heteroarenes,” Chem 2024, 10, 2901–2915.
Pramanik, M.; Guerzoni, M.; Richards*, E.; Melen*, R. L. “Recent Advances in Asymmetric Catalysis Using P–Block Elements,” Angew. Chem., 2024, 63, e202316461.

Publications (Last 5 Years)

2026

Das, S.; Pramanik, M.; Westphaling, J.; Gupta, A.; Zysman-Colman, E.; Baik, M. H.; Wirth, T.; Melen, R. L. "Synthetic and Computational Insights into Main-Group Catalyzed Transformations", Chem. Sci., 2026, 17, 11682.
Mak, D. H.-P.; Das, S.; Westphaling, J.; Jeans, T.; Gorecka, A.; Wirth, T.; Pramanik, M.; Baik, M.-H.; Melen, R. L. "Electrophilic Boron-Catalyzed Cyclizations", Chem. Commun., 2026, DOI: 10.1039/D6CC02791A.
Pramanik, M.; Alotaibi, N.; Boruah, T.; Babaahmadi, R.; Wirth, T.; Melen, R. L. "Reactivity and Applications of Radical Cations in Organic Synthesis", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2026, 148, 5, 5325�5337.

2025

Alotaibi, N.; Babaahmadi, R.; Das, S.; Richards, E.; Wirth, T.; Pramanik, M.; Melen, R. L. "Main Group Lewis Acids in Organic Transformations", Chem. Eur. J., 2025, 31, e202404236.

2024

Pramanik, M.; Das, S.; Babaahmadi, R.; Pahar, S.; Wirth, T.; Richards, E.; Melen, R. L. "FLP-Catalyzed Functionalization of Unactivated Bonds", Chem, 2024, 10, 2901�2915.
Mathuri, A.; Pal, B.; Pramanik, M.; Manna, A.; Mal, P. "Mechanochemical Activation for C-H Functionalization", Catal. Sci. Technol., 2024, 14, 183�189.
Alotaibi, N.; Babaahmadi, R.; Pramanik, M.; Das, S.; Kariuki, B. M.; Richards, E.; Wirth, T.; Melen, R. L. "Structural and Mechanistic Studies of Boron Complexes", Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2024, 27, e202400022.
Pramanik, M.; Guerzoni, M.; Richards, E.; Melen, R. L. "Radical Intermediates in Main Group Chemistry", Angew. Chem., 2024, 63, e202316461.

2023

Sokolnicki, T.; Alharbi, M.; van Ingen, Y.; Rahima, S.; Pramanik, M.; Martinez, A.; Walkowiak, J.; Melen, R. L. "Synthesis and Reactivity of Frustrated Lewis Pairs", Dalton Trans., 2023, 52, 16118�16122.
Pramanik, M.; Melen, R. L. "Recent Progress in Main-Group Element Mediated Reactions", Synthesis, 2023, 55, 3906�3918.
Pramanik, M.; Melen, R. L. "Catalytic Hydrogenation via Main-Group Systems", Chem, 2023, 9, 263�265.
Pramanik, M.; Melen, R. L. "Perspective on Metal-Free Catalytic Methods", Chem, 2023, 9, 2060�2062.
Pramanik, M. "Advances in Green Chemistry and Mechanochemistry", Prayogik Rasayan, 2023, 7, 10�16.
Mathuri, A.; Pal, B.; Pramanik, M.; Mal, P. "Halogen-Bonding Accelerated Organic Reactions", J. Org. Chem., 2023, 88, 10096�10110.
Alotaibi, N.; Babaahmadi, R.; Pramanik, M.; Kaehler, T.; Dasgupta, A.; Richards, E.; Ariafard, A.; Wirth, T.; Melen, R. L. "Borylated Heterocycles via Metal-Free Activation", Dalton Trans., 2023, 52, 5039�5043.

2022

Mathuri, A.; Pramanik, M.; Mal, P. "Substituent Effects on Mechanochemical C-C Bond Formation", J. Org. Chem., 2022, 87, 6812�6823.
Pramanik, M.; Mathuri, A.; Mal, P. "Iodine-Catalyzed Regioselective Synthesis of Heterocycles", Org. Biomol. Chem., 2022, 20, 2671�2680.
Sau, S.; Pramanik, M.; Bal, A.; Mal, P. "Mechanochemistry: A Tool for Sustainable Organic Synthesis", Chem. Rec., 2022, 22, e202100208.