Sirshendu Ghosh
Research Quest
My research is driven by a passion for developing sustainable energy technologies and circular chemical processes. I work at the intersection of materials chemistry, electrochemistry, and environmental engineering, focusing on the rational design of nanostructured materials for electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and energy storage applications.
A central theme of my work is electrochemical valorisation—transforming low-value or waste carbon sources (such as CO₂ and biomass-derived molecules) into high-value chemicals and fuels. This includes hybrid electrolysis systems that couple CO₂ reduction with the oxidation of waste organics to achieve superior energy efficiency. My interest also extends to hydrogen energy, where I develop novel catalysts and integrated systems for hydrogen evolution from renewable and waste-derived feedstocks.
In materials synthesis, I explore nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), plasmonic nanocrystals, and hybrid composites tailored at the atomic scale to enhance charge transfer, surface reactivity, and product selectivity. These materials are applied in green urea synthesis, CO₂ electroreduction, biomass oxidation, and formic acid production, often with direct integration into renewable-powered devices.
My methodology blends experimental and computational approaches. I employ advanced electrochemical techniques (Tafel analysis, impedance spectroscopy, operando characterization) alongside surface and structural analysis (XRD, XPS, TEM, UV-Vis-NIR). By integrating techno-economic and environmental assessments, I ensure that my research outputs have both technological merit and real-world viability.
Ultimately, I aim to contribute to decarbonisation strategies that not only address climate change but also generate tangible socio-economic benefits, especially in the Indian context. My vision is to bridge fundamental electrochemical science with scalable engineering solutions for a low-carbon, resource-efficient future.
Academic Bio
Sirshendu Ghosh is an Assistant Professor in the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Chanakya University, Bengaluru, India. He is an electrochemist and materials chemist whose research spans sustainable energy conversion, carbon capture, and waste valorisation. His expertise includes CO₂ reduction, N₂ reduction, hydrogen generation, hybrid electrolysis, biomass-derived electrosynthesis, plasmonic catalysis, and thermoelectric materials.
Dr. Ghosh earned his Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry from Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata (Jadavpur University) and has held prestigious research positions, including DST INSPIRE Faculty at CSIR-CMERI, Durgapur, and Kreitman Postdoctoral Fellow at Ben-Gurion University, Israel. He has also worked as a Research Associate at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.
With over 14 years of research in catalysis, electrocatalysis and more than 4 years in CO₂ electroreduction, Dr. Ghosh has published 40+ peer-reviewed papers, including 29 as first or corresponding author, in high-impact journals such as ACS appl mater & interface, Small, J. Mater. Chem. A, Small structure, Appl catalysis B: Enrvrion, Chem. Mater. and Nanoscale. His work integrates nanomaterial design, advanced electrochemical techniques, and sustainability assessments to develop scalable, low-carbon energy solutions.
He actively collaborates with national and international partners, contributes to major MNRE and DST projects, and mentors emerging researchers in cutting-edge sustainable materials science.
Educational Qualification
Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata (Jadavpur University), 2015 M.Sc. in Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 2010 B.Sc. in Chemistry, Scottish Church College, University of Calcutta, 2008Publications
As first/corresponding author:
1. D. Bandyopadhyay, A. Upcher, L. Houben, V. Ezersky, S. Ganguly, S. Ghosh* and M. Bar-Sadan. “Unlocking Vacancy-Mediated Cation Exchange in Transition Metal Phosphides: Toward Architected Catalytic Nanostructures.” Small Struct., vol. 2500338, 2024.
2. T. Gupta, R. Bhavana, S. Ganguly, S. Ghosh*, B. Mondal. “Copper phosphide quantum dot: A bifunctional catalyst for electro-and photochemical transformation of biomass-derived 5 hydroxymethylfurfural.” Catalysis Today, vol. 455, 115302, 2025.
3. S. Ganguly, P. Basera, S. Ahmed, S. Saha, A. Dutta, C. Loha and S. Ghosh* .“Trace Ru incorporation boosted Co2P nanorods for superior water electrolysis and substrate paired electrolysis toward value added chemicals in alkaline medium.” Small, vol. 20, issue 52, 2405056, 2024.
4. S. Ganguly, R. Datta, C. Loha, and S. Ghosh*. “Enhancing Trifunctional Electrocatalytic Activities via Lanthanide Modulation in Fe−Co-Based Double Perovskite Oxides”. ACS Energy & Fuels, vol. 38, issue. 14, 13196–13205, 2024.
5. S. Ganguly, J. Kaishyop, T. S. Khan, Sk T. Aziz, A. Dutta, C. Loha, S. Ghosh*. “Selective Facet Engineering of Ni12P5 Nanoparticle for Maximization of Electrocatalytic Oxidative Reaction of Biomass Chemicals”. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., vol. 12, issue. 19, 7374-7381, 2024.
6. S. Ganguly, R. Datta, P. Basera, S. K. De, K. Mistry, C. Loha and S. Ghosh*. “A-site modulation of Co-Ir based double perovskite oxides (A2CoIrO6, A = Sr, Nd, Pr and Sm) for maximization of water oxidation and hybrid electrolysis derived isopropanol up-conversion in acid medium”, ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., vol.12, issue. 2, 849-859, 2024.
7. S. Khamarui and S. Ghosh*, “LSPR assisted photoredox catalysis of newly fabricated Cu-Nanorods: A decarboxylative approach towards C-H bond formation under visible light”. New J. Chem., vol. 48, 520-524, 2024.
8. S. Ganguly, S. Paul, D. Khurana, T. S. khan, P. K. Giri, C. Loha and S. Ghosh*, “Ternary Ni-Co-Se Nanostructure for electrocatalytic oxidative value addition of Biomass platform chemicals”. ACS Appl. Energy Mater., Vol. 6, issue.10, 5331-5341, 2023.
9. S. Behera, S. Ganguly, C. Loha, B. Mondal and S. Ghosh*, “Critical Role of Interface Design in Acceleration of Overall Water Splitting and Hybrid Electrolysis Process: State-of-the-art and Perspective”, ACS Energy & Fuels, vol. 37, issue 11, 7603-7633, 2023.
10. S. Ghosh, B. Mondal, S. Roy, M, Shalom and M. Bar-Sadan, “Alcohol oxidation with high efficiency and selectivity by nickel phosphide phases”. J. Mater. Chem. A, vol. 10, 8238-8244, 2022.
11. S. Ghosh, S. R. Kadam, S. L. Kolatkar, A. Neyman, C.P Singh, A. N. Enyashin, R. Bar-Ziv, M. Bar-Sadan. “W Doping in Ni12P5 as a Platform to Enhance Overall Electrochemical Water Splitting”. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, vol. 14, issue. 1, 581-589, 2022.
12. S. Ghosh*, S.S. Mukhopadhyay, S. Paul, B. Pradhan, and S. K. De, “Control Synthesis and Alloying of Ambient Stable Pb-Free Cs3Bi2Br9(1-x)I9x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) Perovskite Nanocrystals for Photodetector Application”. ACS Appl. Nano Mater., vol. 3, issue. 11, 11107-11117, 2020.
13. S. Ghosh, S. R. Kadam, L. Houben, R. Bar-Ziv and M. Bar-Sadan. ”Nickel Phosphide Catalysts for Hydrogen Generation through Water Reduction, Ammonia-borane, and Borohydride Hydrolysis”. Applied Materials Today, vol. 20, 100693, 2020.
14. S. Ghosh and Bapi Pradhan, “Lead-free metal halide perovskite nanocrystals: challenges, applications, and future aspects”. ChemNanoMat, vol. 5, 300, 2019.
15. S. Ghosh, S. Paul, S. K. De, “Control Synthesis of Air-Stable Morphology Tunable Pb-Free Cs2SnI6 Perovskite Nanoparticles and Their Photodetection Properties”. Part. Part. Syst. Charact., vol. 35, 1800199, 2018.
16. S. Ghosh, D. Barman, S. Paul, B. Dalal and S. K. De. “Cation Exchange-Mediated Synthesis of Library of Plasmomagnetic Nanoheterostructures: Transformation of 2-Dimensional-Shaped Fe7S8 Nanoplates to Cu-Fe-S-Based Ternary Compound”. Chemistry of Materials, vol. 30, 16, 5550-5560, 2018.
17. S. Ghosh, S. Paul, S. K. De, “Efficient Charge Separation in Plasmonic ZnS@Sn:ZnO Nanoheterostructure: Nanoscale Kirkendall Effect and Enhanced Photophysical Properties”. Langmuir, vol. 34, issue 14, 4324-4339, 2018.
18. S. Ghosh, C. Pal, S. Paul, M. Saha, D. Barman and S. K. De, “Visible transparent white light emitting ink from a Ce3+ sensitized monodispersed Tb,Sm co-doped LaF3@C-dot nanocomposite”. Chem. Commun., vol. 54, 14124-14127, 2018.
19. S. Ghosh*, M. Saha, S. Paul and S. K. De. “Shape controlled plasmonic Sn doped CdO colloidal nanocrystals: a synthetic route to maximize the figure of merit of transparent conducting oxide”. Small, vol. 13, 1602469, 2017.
20. S. Ghosh, S. Paul, D. Barman and S. K. De, “Maximization of photocatalytic activity of Bi2S3/TiO2/Au ternary heterostructures by proper epitaxy formation and plasmonic sensitization”. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, vol. 219, 287-300, 2017.
21. S. Ghosh, M. Saha, V. D. Ashok, A. Chatterjee and S K De, “Excitation dependent multicolor emission and photoconductivity of Mn, Cu doped In2S3 monodisperse quantum dots”. Nanotechnology, vol. 27, 155708, 2016.
22. S. Paul, S. Ghosh*, M. Saha and S. K. De. “Enhanced photophysical properties of plasmonic magnetic metal-alloyed semiconductor heterostructure nanocrystals: a case study for the Ag@Ni/Zn1− xMgxO system”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., vol. 18, 13092-13107, 2016.
23. S. Ghosh, M. Saha, V. D. Ashok, B. Dalal, and S. K. De. “Tunable Surface Plasmon Resonance in Sn-Doped Zn-Cd-O Alloyed Nanocrystals”. J. Phys. Chem. C, vol. 119, issue. 2, 1180-1187, 2015.
24. S. Ghosh, M. Saha, S. Paul and S. K. De, “Maximizing the photo catalytic and photo response properties of multimodal plasmonic Ag/WO3−x heterostructure nanorods by variation of the Ag size”. Nanoscale, vol. 7, 18284-18298, 2015,
25. S. Ghosh, S. Khamarui, M. Saha and S. K. De, “Fabrication of tungsten nanocrystals and silver-tungsten nanonets: a potent reductive catalyst”. RSC Adv, vol. 5, 38971-38976, 2015.
26. S. Ghosh, M. Saha and S. K. De, “Tunable surface plasmon resonance and enhanced electrical conductivity of In doped ZnO colloidal nanocrystals”, Nanoscale, 6, 7039-7051, 2014.
27. S. Ghosh, K. Das, G. Sinha, J. Lahtinen and S. K. De, “Bright white light emitting Eu and Tb co-doped monodisperse In2O3 nanocrystals”, J. Mater. Chem. C, vol.1, 5557-5566, 2013.
28. S. Ghosh, K. Das, K. Chakrabarti and S. K. De, “Effect of oleic acid ligand on photophysical, photoconductive and magnetic properties of monodisperse SnO2 quantum dots”. Dalton Trans., vol. 42, 3434-3446, 2013.
29. S. Ghosh, K. Das, K. Chakraborty and S. K. De, Template free synthesis of SnO2 nanoflower arrays on Sn foil, CrystEngComm, vol. 14, 929-935, 2012.
As co-author:
30. D. Bandyopadhyay, S. Ghosh, L. Houben, R. Bar-Ziv*, and M. Bar-Sadan*, “Full Water Splitting Electrolyzed by Cu–Co Bimetallic Phosphides”. ACS Appl. Energy Mater., vol. 6, issue. 21, 10987–10995, 2023.
31. P. S. Maiti, S. Ghosh, G. Leitus, L. Houben, M. Bar-Sadan*, “Oriented Attachment of 2D Nanosheets: The Case of Few-Layer Bi2Se3.” Chemistry of Materials., vol. 33, issue.18, 7558–7565, 2021.
32. O. Zimron, T. Zilberman, S. R Kadam, S. Ghosh, S‐L. Kolatker, A. Neyman, R. Bar‐Ziv, M. Bar‐Sadan. “Co‐Doped MoSe2 Nanoflowers as Efficient Catalysts for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) in Acidic and Alkaline Media”. Isr. J. Chem. Vol. 60, 624, 2020.
33. S. R. Kadam, S. Ghosh, R. Bar-Ziv, M. Bar-Sadan, “Facile synthetic approach to produce optimized molybdenum carbide catalyst for alkaline HER.” Applied Surface Science, Vol. 559, 149932, 2021.
34. S. R. Kadam, S. Ghosh, R. Bar‐Ziv, M. Bar‐Sadan. “Structural Transformation of SnS2 to SnS by Mo Doping Produces Electro/Photocatalyst for Hydrogen Production”. Chem. Eur. J., vol. 26, 6679, 2020.
35. M. Saha, S. Ghosh, S. K. De, “Nanoscale Kirkendall effect driven Au decorated CdS/CdO colloidal nanocomposites fugituor efficient hydrogen evolution, photocatalytic dye degradation and Cr (VI) reduction”. Catalysis Today, vol. 340, 253–267, 2020.
36. D. Barman, S. Paul, S. Ghosh, S. K. De, Cu3N Nanocrystals Decorated with Au Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes’. ACS Appl. Nano Mater., vol. 2, issue 8, 5009–5019, 2019.
37. S. Paul, S. Ghosh, B. Dalal, P. Chal, B. Satpati, and S. K. De*, “Cation Exchange Mediated Synthesis and Tuning of Bimodal Plasmon in Alloyed Ternary Cu3BiS3–xSex Nanorods”, Chemistry of Materials., vol. 30, issue. 15, 5020–5031, 2018.
38. Nb‐Dopant‐Induced Tuning of Optical and Electrical Property of Anatase TiO2 Nanocrystals. M. Saha, S. Ghosh, S. Paul, B. Dalal, S. K De. ChemistrySelect, vol. 3, 6654, 2018.
39. M. Saha, S. Ghosh, V. D. Ashok, S. K. De, Carrier concentration dependent optical and electrical properties of Ga doped ZnO hexagonal nanocrystals, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., vol. 17, 16067-16079, 2015.
40. K. Das, S. Ghosh, K. Chakrabarti, S. Paul, G. Sinha, J. Lahtinen, D Jana, S. K. De, “Core-shell ZnO@CuInS2 hexagonal nanopyramids with improved photo-conversion efficiency”. Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells, vol. 143, 326–334, 2015.
41. S. Paul, K. Pradhan, S. Ghosh, S. K. De, Asish R. Das, “Magnetically Retrievable Nano Crystalline Nickel Ferrite- Catalyzed Aerobic, Ligand-Free C=N, C=O and C=C Cross- Coupling Reactions for the Synthesis of a Diversified Library of Heterocyclic Molecules”, Adv. Synth. Catal., vol. 356, 1301-1316, 2014.
42. K. Chakrabarti, K. Das, B. Sarkar, S. Ghosh, S. K. De, G. Sinha, J. Lahtinen, “Enhanced magnetic and dielectric properties of Eu and Co co-doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles, Appl. Phys. Lett. Vol. 101, 042401, 2012.
43. S. Paul, S. Ghosh, P. Bhattacharyya and A. R. Das, Synthesis of a SO3H-bearing carbonaceous solid catalyst, PEG–SAC: application for the easy access to a diversified library of pyran derivatives, RSC Advances, vol. 3, issue. 34, 14254-14262, 2013.
Projects
Project 1:
- Title: Electrocatalytic Conversion of Carbon dioxide and Nitrogen to valuable fuels: Developing new electrocatalyst
to gain high Faradaic Efficiency, Product selectivity and Yield Rate. - Duration: 2021-2026 (5 years)
- Granting Agency: Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India
- PIs/Co PIs: Dr. Sirshendu Ghosh (sole-PI)
- Purpose: To develop advanced electrocatalysts for simultaneous electrochemical reduction of CO₂ and N₂ into high-value fuels and chemicals, with emphasis on achieving high Faradaic efficiency (>50%), enhanced product selectivity, and elevated yield rates under ambient conditions. The project aims to address energy and environmental challenges by replacing the energy-intensive Haber–Bosch process with low-carbon, sustainable electrochemical pathways.
- Short Description: This project integrates nanomaterial design, single-atom doping, and plasmonic heterostructures to activate N₂ and CO₂ efficiently for electrocatalytic conversion into ammonia, carbon-neutral fuels, and C–N bonded products such as urea. Strategies include the synthesis of ultrathin nanosheets (e.g., Fe-doped VSx, TiS₂, Bi₂Se₃), construction of plasmonic metal–semiconductor nano-heterostructures (e.g., AuCu/Cu₃N), and tuning catalytic interfaces to promote associative N₂ reduction pathways and multi-carbon CO₂ reduction reactions. The work also explores photothermal enhancement under visible–NIR illumination to accelerate reaction kinetics. Outcomes will include mechanistic insights, scalable catalyst architectures, and integrated electrochemical systems for sustainable fuel and fertilizer production.
- Status: Ongoing
- Grant Amount: 35 L INR