Material chemist

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Malsha A. Hettiarachchi

Detroit, MI, 48201 ******.*************@*****.*** Cell:313-***-**** Professional Statement

A self-motivated and result-oriented chemist/Material Scientist with 10+ years of experience. Proven strong academic background, R & D, product development, laboratory safety and customer service, with excellent communication skills. Confident working in teams and ensuring projects are completed efficiently. Key Skills

Nanomaterial Synthesis Inert Condition Material Handling – Glove Box – Schlenk Line Polymer Modification Drug Designing Product Development Powder X-ray Diffraction - PXRD Transmission Electron Microscopy - TEM Scanning Electron Microscopy – SEM Nuclear Magnetic Resonance- NMR Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry - ICP-MS Energy Dispersive Spectrometry – EDS Electron Paramagnetic Resonance - EPR X-ray Fluorescence – XRF UV-Visible Spectroscopy

- UV-VIS FTIR Super Critical Point Drying – CPD Nitrogen-Physisorption BET Thermo- Gravimetric Analysis - TGA Dynamic Light Scattering – DLS Freeze Drier OSHA Laboratory Standard Guidelines Standard Operating Procedures - SOP Laboratory Designing Waste Management

Radiation Monitoring and Safety Dosimetry Mentoring Scientific Writing Strong Inter-personal and Communication Skills

Education

Ph. D. (Major: Chemistry, Material Science) Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 2019 Dissertation Title: Binary and Ternary Transition Metal Pnictide Nanoparticles and their 3-D Assemblies: Towards Promising Magnetic Refrigeration Material Advisor: Dr. Stephanie L. Brock

B. S. (Major: Chemistry) University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka 2010 Dissertation Title: Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nano-Chitosan Composite for Bacterial Activity Against E. Coli

Advisor: Dr. Suranga Wickramarachchi

Research Experience

Post-Doctoral Fellow 2020 to Nov. 2022

Advisor - Dr. James Bour, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

Successfully modulated the porous organic polymers to achieve high surface areas through olefin metathesis

Established a method to facilitate in-situ carbon-centered radical generation in selected Metal-Organic- Frameworks to adsorb and control release of molecular oxygen Page 2 of 3

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Advisor - Dr. Guangzhao Mao, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 2019 to 2020

Successfully established a protocol to quality control and stability check of gold nanoconjugate drug to treat spinal cord injuries

Increased the dissolution capability of solid gold nanoconjugate drug by six times in water

Increased the coupling efficiency of commercial magnetic micro-beads particles from 75% to 98% to facilitate protein binding

Knowledge based support to PI in writing grants

Research Assistant

Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 2013 to 2019

The first time reported in the literature; developed a novel synthetic protocol for phase-pure, low- dispersity discrete manganese antimonide (MnSb) nanoparticles, and manganese arsenide antimonide

(MnAsxSb1-x) nanoparticles

Increased the saturation magnetization of MnSb nanoparticles by twenty times, compared to the previous studies by introducing a new synthetic strategy

Successfully assembled magnetic ternary phosphide discrete nanoparticles into three-dimensional porous gel networks (sol-gel assembly) targeting potential application in magnetic refrigeration: an alternative energy technology

Mentored graduate and undergraduate students in laboratory techniques, inert condition syntheses, scientific writing and record keeping, presenting technical reports, and data analysis

Organized laboratory waste disposal protocol and maintained safe laboratory environment

Maintained laboratory equipment and established Standard Operating Protocols (SOP) R&D Chemist

Atomic Energy Board, Sri Lanka 2012 to 2013

Established a synthetic procedure to synthesize silver nanoparticles using different organic polymers as stabilizing agents, and successfully applied these composites for hydro gel production

Invented a method to determine the viscosity and average molecular weight of solid Chitosan using gamma ray irradiation

Solved a common pathogen disease in dragon fruit cultivation in the year 2012, by developing an economically viable polymer-based anti-fungal agent, using polymer modification- radiation/chemical methods (Radiation Grafting)

Created a product marketing strategy and carried out on-site customer consultant and progress monitoring

Coordinated implementation of new gamma irradiation facility Trainee Chemist

University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka 2010 to 2012

Developed a synthetic protocol to synthesize chitosan-stabilized silver nano composites using gamma ray radiation

Applied the developed silver-nano composite to successfully control the activity of E.Coli and the banana pathogen Colletotrichum musae

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Publications

Porath A.J., Hettiarachchi M.A., Li S., Bour J. A Ni (COD) 2-Free Approach for the Synthesis of High Surface Area Porous Aromatic Frameworks 2022 Chem Comm 58, 6841-6844

Hettiarachchi M.A., Su’a T., Ramzan A.., Pokhrel S., Abdelhamid, E., Nadgorny, B., Brock, S.L. Magnetic Fe2-xNixP (x = 0.6-0.7) Aerogels Prepared from Nanoparticle Assembly: The Functional Whole is the Sum of its Parts 2022 J. Phys. Chem. C 126, 4, 2088–2097

Md. Musfizur Hassan, Hettiarachchi, M.A., Mohamed Kilani, Xiaohua Gao, Abdulghani Sankari, and Guangzhao Mao 2021 Sustained A1 Adenosine Receptor Antagonist Drug Release from Nanoparticles Functionalized by a Neural Tracing Protein ACS Chem. Neurosci, 12, 23, 4438–4448

The cover art that is associated with this manuscript has also been selected as a Front Cover for December, 2021 issue of ACS Chemical Neuroscience

Hettiarachchi M.A., Su’A. T, Pokhrel, S. Nadgorny, B., Brock, S.L. 2021 Synthesis of Ternary Phase MnAsxSb1-x Nanoparticles: Consequences of Compositional Inhomogeneity, and Magnetic Properties – J. Mater. Chem. C, 9, 132**-*****

Hettiarachchi M.A., Abdelhamid, E., Nadgorny, B., Brock, S.L. 2019 Anisotropic Manganese Antimonide Nanoparticle Formation by Solution-Solid-Solid Growth Mechanism: Consequence of Sodium Borohydride Addition towards Reduced Surface Oxidation and Enhanced Magnetic Moment. Nanoscale, 11, 6886-6896

This paper has been selected as one of the featured items on the themed collection: ‘International year of periodic table: As attractive as magnets – applications for magnetic materials’. The papers selected for this themed issue focus on the current hot trends in the field of magnetic materials.

Hettiarachchi M.A., Abdelhamid, E., Nadgorny, B., Brock, S.L. 2016 Synthesis of Colloidal MnSb Nanoparticles: Consequences of Size and Surface Characteristics on Magnetic Properties J. Mater. Chem. C, 4, 6790-679

Hettiarachchi, M.A., Wickramarachchi, P.A.S.R. 2011 Synthesis of Chitosan Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles Using Gamma Ray Irradiation and Characterization. Journal of Science, University of Kelaniya 6:65-75

Leadership

Volunteer Judge at Graduate and Post-Doctoral Research Symposium 2020

STEM Day Volunteer 2019, 2018

Helped high school students to understand the concepts of science

Secretary: Sri Lankan Student Association at Wayne State University 2014 Organized social events, hosted new Wayne State students in their initial settlement in Detroit, Helped the society during the time of natural disasters and social conflicts Other Qualifications

Laboratory Quality Management

ISO 9001:2008 Standard and Preparation of Quality Manual

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