Vishal Kachwal graduated with honors from Chaitanya Post Graduate College, Deemed to be University, Hanamkonda, Warangal, Telangana (India) in 2014. He received his Ph.D. in 2020 from BITS Pilani, Pilani, under the supervision of Prof. Inamur Rahaman Laskar, on solid luminescent stimuli-responsive materials. He then becomes a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Engineering Science at Oxford University since July 2021. Recent research includes fabrication of AIE-hybridized MOFs and electrospun nanofiber composites for sensing applications.
EDUCATION
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in Chemistry August 2014-Dec 2020- Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS-Pilani) Pilani, Rajasthan, India,
5 Years M.Sc Integrated Chemistry August 2009- May 2014 -Chaitanya Post Graduate College-Autonomous (Kakatiya University), Hanamkonda, Waranga
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Multidisciplinary, Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, General Chemistry
Dual-Emissive Iridium(III) Complex with Aggregation-Induced Emission: Mechanistic Insights into Electron Transfer for Enhanced Hypoxia Detection in 3D Tumor Models Annu Agarwal, Shrikant Kirwale, Ajeet Singh, Bharat Kaushik, Vishal Kachwal, Aniruddha Roy, Inamur Rahaman Laskar ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2025 Accurate oxygen detection and measurement of its concentration is vital in biological and industrial applications, necessitating highly sensitive and reliable sensors. Optical sensors, valued for their real-time monitoring, nondestructive analysis, and exceptional sensitivity, are particularly suited for precise oxygen measurements. Here, we report a dual-emissive iridium(III) complex, IrNPh2, featuring "aggregation-induced emission" (AIE) properties and used for sensitive oxygen sensing. IrNPh2 exhibits dual emissions at 450 and 515 nm, with 515 nm triplet-state emission demonstrating remarkable oxygen sensitivity due to its long-lived excited state (12.12 μs) and high quantum yield (68%). Stern-Volmer analysis reveals a notable quenching constant (Ksv = 12.44%-1) and an ultralow detection limit of 0.0397%, emphasizing its superior performance. The oxygen quenching mechanism is driven by electron transfer (ET), supported by computational studies showing the lowest-unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) alignment of IrNPh2 with the πg* orbitals of triplet oxygen, leading to superoxide radical (O2•-) formation. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies further confirm this pathway. Biological evaluations using a three-dimensional (3D) U87-MG glioma spheroid model highlight the ability of IrNPh2 to detect hypoxic regions, with significant fluorescence enhancement under hypoxia and minimal cytotoxicity (>80% viability at 100 μM). With high sensitivity, low detection limits, and biocompatibility, IrNPh2 emerges as a promising candidate for oxygen sensing in environmental and biomedical applications, especially tumor hypoxia detection.
Exploring the Photophysical and Mechanical Behavior of Fluorescent Metal-Organic Framework Monoliths Michele Tricarico, Samraj Mollick, Vishal Kachwal, Dylan A. Sherman, Jin-Chong Tan Chemistry of Materials, 2024 Luminescent metal-organic frameworks exhibit great potential as materials for nanophotonic applications because of their programmable properties and tunable structures. In particular, luminescent guests (LG) can be hosted by metal-organic frameworks due to their porosity and guest confinement capacity, forming LG@MOF composite systems. However, such guest-host systems are mainly produced as loose powders, preventing their widespread use in practical devices and technological applications that require implementation of a stable continuum solid. In this regard, using monolithic MOF hosts might be a workable option to solve this challenge. Herein, we reported the facile synthesis and fabrication of novel prototypical sol-gel monolithic systems, designated as LG@monoMOF. Red (rhodamine B), blue (7-methoxycoumarin), and yellow (fluorescein) emitting dyes were encapsulated in a robust UiO-66 monolithic host, resulting in the red, blue, and yellow light-emitting luminescent monoliths. The mechanical and photophysical characterization of the three LG@monoMOF systems was systematically carried out in order to unravel the role of guest-host interactions in the mechanical and optical response of the bespoke LG@monoMOF composites.
Tailored Broad-Spectrum Emission in Hybrid Aggregation Induced Emission (AIE)-MOFs: Boosting White Light Efficiency in Electrospun Janus Microfibers Vishal Kachwal, Samraj Mollick, Jin‐Chong Tan Advanced Functional Materials, 2024 Advances in energy‐efficient lighting and display technologies demand innovative materials with tailored broad‐spectrum emission properties. Hybrid aggregation‐induced emission metal‐organic frameworks (AIE‐MOFs) offer a promising avenue, combining unique characteristics of organic and inorganic components to yield enhanced luminescence efficiency and robust material stability. The study introduces a spectrum of D (donor)‐A (acceptor) type AIE‐active ligands into MOFs, enabling tunable emission across the visible spectrum, thus underscoring the versatility of these hybridized MOF materials. The emission properties of AIE‐MOFs are further harnessed by integrating them into polymer matrices, resulting in high‐performance electrospun fibers with tunable emission. A significant achievement involves the fabrication of Janus‐type white light‐emitting AIE‐MOF fiber composites via side‐by‐side electrospinning, accomplishing a high quantum yield of 58%, which doubled the performance of homogeneous fibers. Complementing the experimental findings, micro‐Raman and nano‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are employed as local spectroscopic probes, affording a deeper understanding of the material properties and the mechanisms contributing to enhance light emission. In the understanding, this study presents an unconventional implementation of hybrid AIE‐MOFs in Janus‐type structures for white light emission. It significantly improves the efficiency of white light sources in optoelectronics, charting a promising direction for future research in the emergent AIE‐MOF field.
Unlocking Diabetic Acetone Vapor Detection by A Portable Metal-Organic Framework-Based Turn-On Optical Sensor Device Samraj Mollick, Sujeet Rai, Louis Frentzel‐Beyme, Vishal Kachwal, Lorenzo Donà, Dagmar Schürmann, Bartolomeo Civalleri, Sebastian Henke, Jin‐Chong Tan Advanced Science, 2024 Despite exhaled human breath having enabled noninvasive diabetes diagnosis, selective acetone vapor detection by fluorescence approach in the diabetic range (1.8–3.5 ppm) remains a long‐standing challenge. A set of water‐resistant luminescent metal‐organic framework (MOF)‐based composites have been reported for detecting acetone vapor in the diabetic range with a limit of detection of 200 ppb. The luminescent materials possess the ability to selectively detect acetone vapor from a mixture comprising nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and alcohol vapor, which are prevalent in exhaled breath. It is noteworthy that this is the first luminescent MOF material capable of selectively detecting acetone vapor in the diabetic range via a turn‐on mechanism. The material can be reused within a matter of minutes under ambient conditions. Industrially pertinent electrospun luminescent fibers are likewise fabricated alongside various luminescent films for selective detection of ultratrace quantities of acetone vapor present in the air. Ab initio theoretical calculations combined with in situ synchrotron‐based dosing studies uncovered the material's remarkable hypersensitivity toward acetone vapor. Finally, a freshly designed prototype fluorescence‐based portable optical sensor is utilized as a proof‐of‐concept for the rapid detection of acetone vapor within the diabetic range.
Resilient photoswitchable metal–organic frameworks for sunlight-induced on-demand photochromism in the solid state Samraj Mollick, Yang Zhang, Waqas Kamal, Michele Tricarico, Annika F. Möslein, Vishal Kachwal, Nader Amin, Alfonso A. Castrejón-Pita, Stephen M. Morris, Jin-Chong Tan Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023 Organic photoswitchable molecules have struggled in solid-state form to fulfill their remarkable potential, in terms of photoswitching performance and long-term stability when compared to their inorganic counterparts. We report the concept of non-electron deficient host’s surface with optimal porosity and hydrophobicity, as a priori strategy to design photoefficient organic solid-state photochromic materials with outstanding mechanical robustness. It is realized by the nanoconfinement of photochromes in a host matrix possessing optimal porosity and hydrophobicity. The resulting photochromic nanocomposites can be prepared in multigram scale employing a one-pot reaction under ambient conditions. When exposed to a light stimulus including natural sunlight, the photoswitchable nanocomposite powder changes color promptly and reversibly, in a matter of seconds (5 s and 30 s under UV irradiation and sunlight, respectively) along with excellent photo-fatigue resistance, which are on a par with inorganic photochromes. Exemplars of commercially viable prototypes that are optically clear, comprising smart windows, complex photochromic sculptures, and self-erasing rewritable devices, were engineered by direct blending with resilient polymers. Notably, the use of high-stiffness polymers (Young’s modulus > 2 GPa) is no longer considered an insurmountable challenge. Finally, photochromic films with anticounterfeiting features could be manufactured through precision printing of nanocrystals by drop-on-demand inkjet printing technology.
Tunable emission in the visible range from a single organic fluorophore through time-controlled morphological evolution Ram Prasad Bhatta, Vishal Kachwal, Clàudia Climent, Mayank Joshi, Pere Alemany, A. Roy Choudhury, Inamur Rahaman Laskar Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2023 This research article presents a novel method for achieving tunable colours (blue to red) from a single organic fluorophore. Emission tuning is associated with different self-assembled structures and aggregates size controlled by reaction time.
Dual-Emissive Iridium (III) Complex with Aggregation-Induced Emission: Mechanistic Insights into Electron Transfer for Enhanced Hypoxia Detection in 3D Tumor Models A Agarwal, S Kirwale, A Singh, B Kaushik, V Kachwal, A Roy, IR Laskar ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 17 (4), 6055-6068 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
Modulating ultralong room-temperature phosphorescence through mechanical confinement of tailored polymer/MOF hybrid interfaces S Mollick, V Kachwal, B Hupp, YD More, M Tricarico, A Steffen, JC Tan Chemical Science 16 (33), 15185-15193 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Exploring the photophysical and mechanical behavior of fluorescent metal–organic framework monoliths M Tricarico, S Mollick, V Kachwal, DA Sherman, JC Tan Chemistry of Materials 36 (17), 8247-8254 , 2024 2024 Citations: 7
Tailored Broad‐Spectrum Emission in Hybrid Aggregation Induced Emission (AIE)‐MOFs: Boosting White Light Efficiency in Electrospun Janus Microfibers V Kachwal, S Mollick, JC Tan Advanced Functional Materials 34 (6), 2308062 , 2024 2024 Citations: 21
Precise molecular design for a twisted pyrene-thiophene based mechanofluorochromic probe with large Stokes shift and feasibility study towards security ink and re-writable papers RP Bhatta, V Kachwal, V Vishwakarma, AR Choudhury, IR Laskar Journal of Materials Chemistry C 12 (33), 12906-12918 , 2024 2024 Citations: 12
Enhanced TNT vapor sensing through a PMMA-mediated AIPE-active monocyclometalated iridium (iii) complex: a leap towards real-time monitoring RP Bhatta, A Agarwal, V Kachwal, PC Raichure, IR Laskar Analyst 149 (8), 2445-2458 , 2024 2024 Citations: 6
Unlocking diabetic acetone vapor detection by a portable metal‐organic framework‐based turn‐on optical sensor device S Mollick, S Rai, L Frentzel‐Beyme, V Kachwal, L Donà, D Schürmann, ... Advanced Science 11 (4), 2305070 , 2024 2024 Citations: 28
Resilient photoswitchable metal–organic frameworks for sunlight-induced on-demand photochromism in the solid state S Mollick, Y Zhang, W Kamal, M Tricarico, AF Möslein, V Kachwal, N Amin, ... Chemical Engineering Journal 476, 146727 , 2023 2023 Citations: 13
Rational molecular designing of aggregation-enhanced emission (AEE) active red-emitting iridium (III) complexes: effect of lipophilicity and nanoparticle encapsulation on … Sumit, KS Maravajjala, S Khanna, V Kachwal, KL Swetha, S Manabala, ... ACS Applied Bio Materials 6 (4), 1445-1459 , 2023 2023 Citations: 11
Controlling the sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of nitro-based explosives by modulating the electronic substituents on the ligand of AIPE-active cyclometalated … A Agarwal, RP Bhatta, V Kachwal, IR Laskar Dalton Transactions 52 (39), 14182-14193 , 2023 2023 Citations: 8
Tunable emission in the visible range from a single organic fluorophore through time-controlled morphological evolution RP Bhatta, V Kachwal, C Climent, M Joshi, P Alemany, AR Choudhury, ... Journal of Materials Chemistry C 11 (33), 11399-11408 , 2023 2023 Citations: 6
Achieving Single-Component Solid-State White-Light Emission through Polymerization-Induced Phosphorescent Emission PC Raichure, V Kachwal, D Sengottuvelu, IR Laskar Macromolecules 55 (23), 10377-10384 , 2022 2022 Citations: 2
Stimuli‐Responsive Electrospun Fluorescent Fibers Augmented with Aggregation‐Induced Emission (AIE) for Smart Applications V Kachwal, JC Tan Advanced Science, 2204848 , 2022 2022 Citations: 98
Nanoconfinement of tetraphenylethylene in zeolitic metal-organic framework for turn-on mechanofluorochromic stress sensing Y Zhang, T Xiong, AF Möslein, S Mollick, V Kachwal, AS Babal, N Amin, ... Applied Materials Today 27, 101434 , 2022 2022 Citations: 28
Multi-stimuli distinct responsive D–A based fluorogen oligomeric tool and efficient detection of TNT vapor PC Raichure, R Bhatt, V Kachwal, TC Sharma, IR Laskar New Journal of Chemistry 46 (14), 6560-6569 , 2022 2022 Citations: 16
‘Aggregation-Induced Emission’Active Mono-Cyclometalated Iridium (III) Complex Mediated Efficient Vapor-Phase Detection of Dichloromethane PC Raichure, V Kachwal, IR Laskar Molecules 27 (1), 202 , 2021 2021 Citations: 11
Mechanofluorochromism with Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) Characteristics: A Perspective Applying Isotropic and Anisotropic Force VKIR Laskar Topics in Current Chemistry 379 (28) , 2021 2021 Citations: 26
Engineering a light-driven cyanine based molecular rotor to enhance the sensitivity towards a viscous medium V Kachwal, A Srivastava, S Thakar, M Zubiria-Ulacia, D Gautam, ... Materials Advances 2 (14), 4804-4813 , 2021 2021 Citations: 4
Aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE)-active conjugated mesoporous oligomers (CMOs) with improved quantum yield and low-cost detection of a trace amount of nitroaromatic … D Sengottuvelu, V Kachwal, P Raichure, T Raghav, IR Laskar ACS applied materials & interfaces 12 (28), 31875-31886 , 2020 2020 Citations: 56
A multistimuli responsive heteroleptic iridium (iii) complex: role of hydrogen bonding in probing solvent, pH and bovine serum albumin (BSA) V Kachwal, PK Sharma, A Sarmah, S Chowdhury, IR Laskar Journal of Materials Chemistry C 8 (19), 6605-6614 , 2020 2020 Citations: 14
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
A multi-stimuli responsive “AIE” active salicylaldehyde-based Schiff base for sensitive detection of fluoride P Alam, V Kachwal, IR Laskar Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 228, 539-550 , 2016 2016 Citations: 99
Stimuli‐Responsive Electrospun Fluorescent Fibers Augmented with Aggregation‐Induced Emission (AIE) for Smart Applications V Kachwal, JC Tan Advanced Science, 2204848 , 2022 2022 Citations: 98
Exploring the hidden potential of a benzothiazole-based Schiff-base exhibiting AIE and ESIPT and its activity in pH sensing, intracellular imaging and ultrasensitive … V Kachwal, ISV Krishna, L Fageria, J Chaudhary, RK Roy, R Chowdhury, ... Analyst 143 (15), 3741-3748 , 2018 2018 Citations: 77
Simple ratiometric push–pull with an ‘aggregation induced enhanced emission’active pyrene derivative: a multifunctional and highly sensitive fluorescent sensor V Kachwal, P Alam, HR Yadav, SS Pasha, AR Choudhury, IR Laskar New Journal of Chemistry 42 (2), 1133-1140 , 2018 2018 Citations: 58
Aggregation-induced enhanced emission (AIEE)-active conjugated mesoporous oligomers (CMOs) with improved quantum yield and low-cost detection of a trace amount of nitroaromatic … D Sengottuvelu, V Kachwal, P Raichure, T Raghav, IR Laskar ACS applied materials & interfaces 12 (28), 31875-31886 , 2020 2020 Citations: 56
Highly sensitive explosive sensing by “aggregation induced phosphorescence” active cyclometalated iridium (iii) complexes P Alam, G Kaur, V Kachwal, A Gupta, AR Choudhury, IR Laskar Journal of Materials Chemistry C 3 (21), 5450-5456 , 2015 2015 Citations: 54
Facile incorporation of “aggregation-induced emission”-active conjugated polymer into mesoporous silica hollow nanospheres: Synthesis, characterization, photophysical studies … S Dineshkumar, A Raj, A Srivastava, S Mukherjee, SS Pasha, V Kachwal, ... ACS applied materials & interfaces 11 (34), 31270-31282 , 2019 2019 Citations: 37
Unlocking diabetic acetone vapor detection by a portable metal‐organic framework‐based turn‐on optical sensor device S Mollick, S Rai, L Frentzel‐Beyme, V Kachwal, L Donà, D Schürmann, ... Advanced Science 11 (4), 2305070 , 2024 2024 Citations: 28
Nanoconfinement of tetraphenylethylene in zeolitic metal-organic framework for turn-on mechanofluorochromic stress sensing Y Zhang, T Xiong, AF Möslein, S Mollick, V Kachwal, AS Babal, N Amin, ... Applied Materials Today 27, 101434 , 2022 2022 Citations: 28
Mechanofluorochromism with Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) Characteristics: A Perspective Applying Isotropic and Anisotropic Force VKIR Laskar Topics in Current Chemistry 379 (28) , 2021 2021 Citations: 26
Strategic design and synthesis of AIEE (Aggregation Induced Enhanced Emission) active push-pull type pyrene derivatives for the ultrasensitive detection of explosives V Kachwal, M Joshi, V Mittal, AR Choudhury, IR Laskar Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research 23, 100267 , 2019 2019 Citations: 22
Tailored Broad‐Spectrum Emission in Hybrid Aggregation Induced Emission (AIE)‐MOFs: Boosting White Light Efficiency in Electrospun Janus Microfibers V Kachwal, S Mollick, JC Tan Advanced Functional Materials 34 (6), 2308062 , 2024 2024 Citations: 21
Multi-stimuli distinct responsive D–A based fluorogen oligomeric tool and efficient detection of TNT vapor PC Raichure, R Bhatt, V Kachwal, TC Sharma, IR Laskar New Journal of Chemistry 46 (14), 6560-6569 , 2022 2022 Citations: 16
A multistimuli responsive heteroleptic iridium (iii) complex: role of hydrogen bonding in probing solvent, pH and bovine serum albumin (BSA) V Kachwal, PK Sharma, A Sarmah, S Chowdhury, IR Laskar Journal of Materials Chemistry C 8 (19), 6605-6614 , 2020 2020 Citations: 14
Resilient photoswitchable metal–organic frameworks for sunlight-induced on-demand photochromism in the solid state S Mollick, Y Zhang, W Kamal, M Tricarico, AF Möslein, V Kachwal, N Amin, ... Chemical Engineering Journal 476, 146727 , 2023 2023 Citations: 13
Precise molecular design for a twisted pyrene-thiophene based mechanofluorochromic probe with large Stokes shift and feasibility study towards security ink and re-writable papers RP Bhatta, V Kachwal, V Vishwakarma, AR Choudhury, IR Laskar Journal of Materials Chemistry C 12 (33), 12906-12918 , 2024 2024 Citations: 12
Rational molecular designing of aggregation-enhanced emission (AEE) active red-emitting iridium (III) complexes: effect of lipophilicity and nanoparticle encapsulation on … Sumit, KS Maravajjala, S Khanna, V Kachwal, KL Swetha, S Manabala, ... ACS Applied Bio Materials 6 (4), 1445-1459 , 2023 2023 Citations: 11
‘Aggregation-Induced Emission’Active Mono-Cyclometalated Iridium (III) Complex Mediated Efficient Vapor-Phase Detection of Dichloromethane PC Raichure, V Kachwal, IR Laskar Molecules 27 (1), 202 , 2021 2021 Citations: 11
Controlling the sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of nitro-based explosives by modulating the electronic substituents on the ligand of AIPE-active cyclometalated … A Agarwal, RP Bhatta, V Kachwal, IR Laskar Dalton Transactions 52 (39), 14182-14193 , 2023 2023 Citations: 8
Exploring the photophysical and mechanical behavior of fluorescent metal–organic framework monoliths M Tricarico, S Mollick, V Kachwal, DA Sherman, JC Tan Chemistry of Materials 36 (17), 8247-8254 , 2024 2024 Citations: 7