Dr. Sharmarke Mohamed is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Head of the Chemical Crystallography Laboratory (CCL) at Khalifa University. Dr. Mohamed completed his MSci (2007, 1st Class Honors) and PhD (2011) degrees at UCL. During his doctoral training, Dr. Mohamed developed expertise in crystal growth, X-ray crystallography and computational methods for crystal structure prediction. In 2011, he took up a position as a Drug Development Chemist within the pharmaceutical industry, working in Sanofi’s fastest growing generics business in Europe. His work led to the award of 3 patents for discoveries of new solid forms of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). During his time in industry, he also contributed to the current FDA guidance on what constitutes a “cocrystal” in the context of APIs.
In 2014, Dr. Mohamed was appointed to the faculty at Khalifa University, where he has played an active role in establishing the current undergraduate chemistry program. In 2019, Dr. Mohamed was elected to the board of the ACS International Chemical Sciences Chapter in the UAE and has served as the Secretary & Treasurer of the Chapter. In 2020, Dr. Mohamed helped establish the Emirates Crystallographic Society (ECS) and has served as its founding Vice President and UAE representative of the ECS to both the European Crystallographic Association (ECA) and IUCr.
Dr. Mohamed’s work in the field of crystal engineering has been recognized in the 2018 “New Talent” themed issue of the RSC journal, CrystEngComm. In 2021, he was also recognized by the ACS journal, Crystal Growth & Design, as an “Emerging Investigator” in the field of crystal engineering following the inclusion of his work in a virtual issue dedicated to rising stars in the field.
Dr. Mohamed currently serves on the advisory board of the RSC journal, CrystEngComm.
We apply electronic structure, molecular mechanics and periodic DFT methods to predict the structures and bulk properties of functional 2D and 3D crystalline materials with specific properties (mechanical, optoelectronic etc). Currently collaborating with chemists and engineers to provide computational modelling data to support the discovery of mechanically compliant molecular crystals and functional 2D (graphene, MXene) materials with useful optoelectronic materials.
We are also developing new mechanochemical methods to support the degradation, depolymerization, and remediation of a range of organic pollutants found in the environment. Our work on environmental mechanoremediation currently focuses on persistent organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and plastic waste materials. We use crystallographic, chromatographic, and spectroscopic techniques to monitor our mechanochemical processes.
For more information about the Green Chemistry and Materials Modelling Laboratory (GCMM) see: https://www.smohamed.org/
We are always looking for talented and highly motivated researchers to join our team. I encourage interested candidates to send an e-mail at the first instance. Responses may be delayed to the busy schedule of Prof. Mohamed. Patience is a virtue.
