Specialization

Liquid Crystals & Functional Soft Materials

Email

raj.khan@thapar.edu

Mobile No.: +91 6290689090

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MpgQzesAAAAJ&hl=en

• Blue phase liquid crystals: thermal stabilization and electro-optic effects
• Viscoelastic, dielectric, and electro-optical properties of bent-core nematic and smectic liquid crystals
• Nanoparticle-doped liquid crystal systems and their electro-optical modification
• Ferro- and antiferroelectric liquid crystals in planar geometry
• Rheology of thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystal physical gels
• Liquid crystal elastomers, soft actuators, and LC-based biosensors

• Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics & Materials Science, TIET — Sept 2022 to Present
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru — Apr 2019 to Sept 2022
• Senior Research Fellow, University of Calcutta — Aug 2016 to Dec 2018
• Junior Research Fellow, University of Calcutta — Aug 2014 to Aug 2016

• Ph.D. Physics, University of Calcutta (2014–2019) — Dielectric and Electro-Optical Properties of Nematic and Polar Orthogonal Phases Composed of Bent Core Molecules
• M.Sc. Physics, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan (2010–2012)
• B.Sc. Physics, Netaji Mahavidyalaya, University of Burdwan (2007–2010)

• Liquid Crystal-Based Biosensors: Advanced Detection of Enzymes, DNA, and RNA through Selective Reflection Modulation — funded by TIET-VT Center of Excellence in Emerging Materials (CEEMS), Sept 2024–Ongoing
• The Relational Interface: An Adaptive AI for Embodied Health and Social Connection — funded by Interdisciplinary Research Centre ACT–TSLAS, TIET, Mar 2026–Ongoing

• Editorial board member, Discover Condensed Matter (Springer Nature)
• Reviewer for Wiley, Wiley-VCH, Elsevier, Springer, ACS, and other international journals
• Best Poster Award, National Conference on Liquid Crystals (NCLC-2016), ISM Dhanbad
• Qualified CSIR-UGC NET (2012, 2015) and GATE (2014)

• Enhancing Collaborative Problem Solving in Engineering Education through Think-Pair-Share: Implementation and Insights. Raj Kumar Khan & Abhisek Pal. Springer Transactions on Digital Learning: Innovations in Education 4.0, 2025.

1. Novel achiral four-ring bent-shaped nematic liquid crystals with trifluoromethyl and methyl substituents in the central molecular core: an unusually large Kerr constant in blue phase III of nematic-chiral dopant mixture. R. K. Khan, S. Turlapati, N. V. S. Rao, R. Pratibha, W. Drzewinski, R. Dabrowski, S. Ghosh. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 5 (2017): 6729.

2. Impact of terminal polar substitution on elastic, electro-optic, and dielectric properties of four-ring bent-core nematic liquid crystal. R. K. Khan, S. Ghosh, S. Turlapati, N. V. S. Rao. RSC Advances, 8 (2018): 11509.

3. Sign-inversion of elastic anisotropy in a bent-core nematic liquid crystal doped with carbon nanodots. R. K. Khan, S. Turlapati, N. V. S. Rao, S. Ghosh. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 225 (2017): 328.

4. Elastic and dielectric properties of ferroelectric nanoparticles/bent-core nematic liquid crystal blend. R. K. Khan, S. Ghosh, S. Turlapati, N. V. S. Rao. The European Physical Journal E, 40 (2017): 75.

5. Elastic constants, viscosity and dielectric properties of bent-core nematic liquid crystals doped with single-walled carbon nanotubes. S. Turlapati, R. K. Khan, P. R. Ramesh, J. Shamanna, S. Ghosh, N. V. S. Rao. Liquid Crystals, 44 (2017): 784.

6. Existence of polar switching in the nematic and orthogonal smectic phases in novel four-ring bent-core compounds. S. Turlapati, R. K. Khan, S. Ghosh, P. Tadapatri, R. Pratibha, N. V. S. Rao. Journal of Applied Physics, 120 (2016): 174101.

7. Observation of disordered mesophase in three-ring based highly polar bent-core molecules. G. Mohiuddin, N. Begum, N. V. S. Rao, V. Punjani, S. Kaur, S. K. Pal, R. K. Khan, S. Ghosh. Liquid Crystals, 44 (2017): 2247.

8. Observation of polar order and thermochromic behaviour in a chiral bent-core system exhibiting exotic mesophases by superstructural frustration. V. Punjani, G. Mohiuddin, S. Kaur, R. K. Khan, S. Ghosh, S. Pal. Chemical Communications (2018).

9. Polar Switching and Cybotactic Nematic Ordering in 1,3,4-Thiadiazole-Based Short-Core Hockey Stick-Shaped Fluorescent Liquid Crystals. S. K. Saha, G. Mohiuddin, M. K. Paul, S. P. Gupta, R. K. Khan, S. Ghosh, S. K. Pal. ACS Omega, 4 (2019): 7711.

10. Structural organization and molecular self-assembly of a new class of polar and non-polar four-ring based bent-core molecules. S. Kaur, G. Mohiuddin, V. Punjani, R. K. Khan, S. Ghosh, S. K. Pal. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 295 (2019): 111687.

11. Development of nematic and orthogonal smectic phases in short-core fluorinated hockey-stick shaped liquid crystal compounds. K. Upadhyaya, S. Ghosh, R. K. Khan, R. Pratibha, N. V. S. Rao. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 298 (2020): 111989.

12. Electrochemical performance of a new imidazolium ionic liquid crystal and carbon paste composite electrode for the sensitive detection of paracetamol. R. Mangaiyarkarasi, S. Premlatha, Raj Kumar Khan, R. Pratibha, S. Umadevi. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 319 (2020): 114255.

13. Selective stabilization of blue phase liquid crystals using spherical and rod-shaped colloidal nanocrystals. Raj Kumar Khan, Pratibha Ramarao. Journal of Applied Physics, 129, 024702 (2021).

14. Planar and Vertical Alignment of Rod-like and Bent-core Liquid Crystals Using Functionalized Indium Tin Oxide Substrates. B. Sivaranjini, S. Umadevi, Raj Kumar Khan, R. Pratibha, D. Amuthan, V. Saranyan, V. Ganesh. Liquid Crystals (2021).

15. Interplay of self-assembly and viscoelasticity in chiral liquid crystal gels. Raj Kumar Khan, Sayantan Majumdar, R. Pratibha. Physics of Fluids, 34, 047108 (2022).

16. Extremely High Kerr Constant and Low Operating Voltage in a Stable Room-Temperature Blue Phase-III Derived from Three-Ring-Based Bent-Core Molecules. Raj Kumar Khan, Golam Mohiuddin, Nazma Begum, Srikanth Turlapati, Rao V. S. Nandiraju, Bugra Koknarugmani Debbarma, Sharmistha Ghosh. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 14 (2022): 42628.

17. Semiconducting CdS quantum dots as a guest in a four-ring bent-core nematic medium: modified dielectric and elastic properties. Raj Kumar Khan, Subhadra Mohapatra, Sharmistha Ghosh. Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, 764 (2023): 122-133.

18. Dielectric Studies on a Bent-Core Liquid Crystal Taken in Cells Fabricated with ITO Substrates Functionalized with Bent-Core Molecules. Raj Kumar Khan, B. Sivaranjini, S. Umadevi, R. Pratibha. Brazilian Journal of Physics, 54 (2024): 131.

19. Synthesis, structure and mesogenic properties of benzoxazole derivatives. Abhay Pratap Singh, Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, Golam Mohiuddin, Raj Kumar Khan, M. Karunakar. Liquid Crystals (2024): 1-9.

20. Blue Phase III from Bent-Core Liquid Crystals: Unveiling Thermal Stability & Unique Traits – A Comprehensive Review. Raj Kumar Khan. ChemPhysChem, 25 (24), (2024): e202400779.

21. 4D Printing with Liquid Crystal Elastomers: Materials, Methods, and Emerging Applications. Raj Kumar Khan. ChemPlusChem, 90 (8), (2025): e202500049.

22. Reviewing Ferroelectric Nematic Liquid Crystals: From Fundamental Properties to Cutting-Edge Applications. Raj Kumar Khan. Applied Research, 4 (3), (2025): e70018.

23. Machine Learning in Liquid Crystal Research: Accelerating Discovery, Optimization, and Applications. Raj Kumar Khan, A. K. Verma. Next Research (2025): 101094.

24. Heterocyclic 5-Phenylpyridine-Based Azomethine Liquid Crystals: Design, Synthesis, and Multifunctional Properties. Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, Abhay Pratap Singh, Samiyara Begum, Golam Mohiuddin, Raj Kumar Khan, Priyanka Srivastava, Anshika Baghla, M Karunakar. Journal of Molecular Structure (2025): 144905.

25. Reentrant isotropic phase in mixtures of chiral calamitic and achiral bent-core molecules exhibiting enhanced blue phases. Raj Kumar Khan, B. Shivaranjini, S. Umadevi, R. Pratibha. Chemical Physics (2025): 113013.

26. Quinoxaline-based mesogenic Azomethane Schiff-bases: Design, Synthesis and Characterization. Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, Abhay Pratap Singh, Golam Mohiuddin, Raj Kumar Khan, M Karunakar. Liquid Crystal, 52 (13), (2026): 1323.

27. Fluorene-based AIE active luminescent liquid crystal: Design, Synthesis, and Characterization. Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, Abhay Pratap Singh, Samiyara Begum, Golam Mohiuddin, Raj Kumar Khan, Arzoo Siddiqui, Priyanka Srivastava, M. Karunakar. Journal of Molecular Structure (2026), 146456.

28. Photo-Switchable Asymmetric Four-Ring Bent-Core Liquid Crystals for Memristors: A Concept of Liquid Crystaltronics. Raj Kumar Khan. (2026) — Under Review.