Rounak Jana
1 Cyclotron Rd., B62, Lbl, Berkeley,CA
Summary
Proficient researcher in synthetic and electrochemical methods, trained at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Successfully improved lithium-ion battery performance by synthesizing solid polymer electrolytes. Strong background in multistep organic synthesis and material characterization, facilitating teamwork and innovation. Focused on advancing materials science through detailed experimentation and analytical approaches.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Postdoctoral Research
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley, USA
02.2024 - Current
- Synthesized new solid polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries, improving overall efficiency.
- Worked alongside graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to analyze electrolyte characteristics.
- Evaluated performance through rigorous experimental procedures on developed polymer electrolytes.
- Optimized electrolyte composition by analyzing data and performance metrics.
- Assisted principal investigators with grant applications related to postdoctoral research initiatives.
Researcher
U.C. Berkeley
Berkeley, USA
02.2023 - 02.2024
- Synthesized a block copolymer-based membrane for efficient separation of lactic acids from aqueous mixtures.
- Ensured a safe laboratory environment while serving as safety coordinator.
Graduate Student
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Bangalore, India
07.2015 - 12.2022
Designed and synthesized mesoporous polymers with targeted functionality in the pores.
Education
postdoctoral research - Solid Polymer Electrolyte Membranes
U.C. Berkeley | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley, CA12-2026
Ph.D. - Polymer Chemistry
Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore10-2022
Master of Science - CHEMISTRY
Indian Institute of Technology
Chennai, India06.2015
Bachelor of Science - chemistry major, physics, and mathematics minor
Calcutta University
India 06.2013
Skills
- Synthetic and electrochemical expertise
- Multistep organic synthesis
- Polymer synthesis
- Membrane development and performance
- Battery assembly and testing
- Electrochemical characterization
- SAXS and WAXS analysis
- Multinuclear NMR spectroscopy
- FTIR and variable temperature IR
- UV-Vis spectroscopy
- GPC and LC-MS analysis
- Fluorescence techniques
- Thermal analysis (DSC, TGA-MS)
- Gas adsorption analysis (N2, CO2)
- Research collaboration
- Laboratory safety practices
- Communication skills in English and Hindi
Awards And Fellowships
- Vasudevamurthy Sundarrajan prize for best course work in Ph.D., 2016, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry department, IISc, India
- Vasudevamurthy Sundarrajan prize for Best Speaker, 2017, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry department, IISc, India
- CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test for Junior Research Fellowship, 12/01/13, CSIR 68 in all India
- Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) in Chemical Sciences, 2015, 52 in all India
- Joint Admission Test for Masters (JAM), 98 in all India, Selected in IIT Madras for master’s studies
- INSPIRE fellowship, India
Publications
- Jana, R.; Ramakrishnan, S. Direct Generation of Internally Functionalized Nanoporous Polymers: Design of Polymerizable Porogens. Macromolecules 2021, 54, 9692-9702.
- Jana, R.; Ramakrishnan, S.Counterion-based polymerizable porogen-Direct preparation of nanoporous polymer matrices with control over pore size and carboxylic acid content. Macromolecules 2023, 56 (1), 349–360.
- Jana, R.; Malla, K., S., Ramakrishnan, S. Pore Size Tuning and Multifunctional Porous Polymer Matrices Using Mixtures of Polymerizable Porogens. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2023, 5, 10, 8089–8098.
- Jana, R.; Gido, A., L.; Halat, M., D.; Sempira, C.; Fedenko, J.; van Bavel, P., A.; Balsara, P., N., Designing a Block Copolymer Membrane for Selective Transport of Lactic Acid from Aqueous Mixtures, Macromolecules 2025, 58, 5, 2589–2598.
- Pati, A. K.; Jana, R.; Gharpure, S. J.; Mishra, A. K. Photophysics of Diphenylbutadiynes in Water, Acetonitrile−Water, and Acetonitrile Solvent Systems: Application to Single Component White Light Emission. J. Phys. Chem. A 2016, 120, 5826−5837.
- Jana, R.; Gido, A., L., Understanding the structure-property relationship for novel Malonate-based Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries. Manuscript under preparation.
Presentations
- Poster, EBI-Shell Retreat, Shell Woodcreek Campus, USA, 09/01/23
- Poster, In-house symposium, IPC department, IISc, India, 2019
- Poster, SPSI-MACRO, IISER Pune, India, 2018
- Poster, In-house symposium, IPC Department, IISc, India, 2017
Timeline
Postdoctoral Research
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
02.2024 - Current
Researcher
U.C. Berkeley
02.2023 - 02.2024
Graduate Student
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
07.2015 - 12.2022
postdoctoral research - Solid Polymer Electrolyte Membranes
U.C. Berkeley | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Ph.D. - Polymer Chemistry
Indian Institute of Science
Master of Science - CHEMISTRY
Indian Institute of Technology
Bachelor of Science - chemistry major, physics, and mathematics minor
Calcutta University
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