Speaker: Prof. Monojit Chakraborty, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur.

Title: "Interfacial Dynamics from Droplets to Extended Thin Films"

Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025 - Time: 2:30 PM

Hi-Tea & Coffee: 3:30 PM

Venue: CeNSE Seminar Hall 

Abstract:

Flows at small scales are fascinating due to their complex dynamics. This talk explores 
interfacial phenomena at micro- and nanoscales, covering topics from wetting and 
anisotropic droplet behaviour to evaporation dynamics and viscous effects in extended 
liquid thin films. It begins with experimental insights into water wetting on rose petals, 
challenging the conventional “impregnated Cassie-Baxter” model. The effect of crystallographic 
orientation on substrate wetting will then be examined. The discussion continues with interfacial 
instabilities during methanol evaporation on silicon, forming “tears,” and concludes with how bulk 
viscosity governs the evolution of highly viscous extended liquid thin films.

Biography:

Monojit Chakraborty is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical 
Engineering at IIT Kharagpur. Prior to joining IIT Kharagpur, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research 
Associate at the School of Mechanical Engineering and Birck Nanotechnology Center, at Purdue University, 
USA. He earned his PhD and Master’s from IIT Kharagpur. His research focuses on micro- and nanoscale systems, 
including microfluidics, microscale transport, interfacial sciences, molecular simulations, and related areas. 
Beyond academia, he has three years of industrial experience and has authored 35 publications in international peer-reviewed journals.

Host Faculty:  Prof. Prosenjit Sen