Ahmed Abu-Dief | Chemistry | Editorial Board Member

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Prof Dr. Ahmed Abu-Dief | Chemistry
| Editorial Board Member

Taibah university | Saudi Arabia

Prof Dr. Ahmed Abu-Dief research portfolio demonstrates extensive contributions to coordination chemistry, materials chemistry, and the development of multifunctional metal-based complexes with advanced biological and industrial applications. Recent work explores engineered Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II) complexes derived from 2-aminobenzothiazole, integrating experimental synthesis with theoretical modeling to reveal their potent antitumor, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities. This line of investigation provides insight into structure–activity relationships and highlights the therapeutic potential of transition-metal compounds. Parallel research advances the field of porous organic cages, emphasizing their tunable architecture, adsorption behavior, and multifaceted utility across energy storage, gas separation, catalysis, environmental remediation, and sensor technologies. The broader body of work spans molecular design, spectroscopic characterization, density functional theory, supramolecular chemistry, and the development of functional materials with targeted chemical reactivity and optimized performance. Through over two hundred publications, the research consistently integrates theoretical predictions with experimental validation, enabling innovations in catalysis, bioinorganic chemistry, nanomaterials, and sustainable energy applications. Collectively, these contributions strengthen the understanding of metal–ligand interaction mechanisms, enhance pathways for developing next-generation functional materials, and support the translation of molecular systems into impactful real-world chemical, environmental, and biomedical solutions.

Featured Publications

Ali, H., Orooji, Y., Al Alwan, B., Al Jery, A. E., Alsehli, M., Abu-Dief, A. M., Guo, S. R., … (2026). The promise of porous organic cages: Bridging fundamental insights and real-world impact in energy and beyond. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 548, 217212.

Abu-Dief, A. M., Al-Farraj, E. S., Abdel-Hameed, M., Alahmadi, N., Fathalla, M., … (2026). Design and synthesis of tunable Schiff base complexes from bis-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene) anthracene-9,10-dione: Integrated structural, biological, and molecular modeling insights. Computational Biology and Chemistry, 120, 108682.

Hayat, A., Alghamdi, M. M., El-Zahhar, A. A., Abu-Dief, A. M., Hassan, H. M. A., Yue, D., … (2026). Recent advances in solar light-driven overall water splitting: A comprehensive review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 226, 116426.

Arash Pakravesh | Physical Chemistry | Editorial Board Member

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Dr. Arash Pakravesh | Physical Chemistry
| Editorial Board Member

Bu-Ali Sina university | Iran

Dr. Arash Pakravesh research focuses extensively on advancing thermodynamic modeling through the development, refinement, and application of SAFT-type equations of state, particularly for complex fluids, supercritical systems, and industrially relevant mixtures. Key contributions include the PρT parameterization of the SAFT equation of state, which introduces an optimized framework for improving accuracy in density, pressure, and temperature predictions across diverse fluid conditions. Additional investigations examine the thermodynamic behavior of supercritical hydrogen using both cubic and SAFT-type models, offering insights essential for hydrogen storage, transportation, and energy technologies. Comparative evaluations involving friction theory, free-volume theory, entropy scaling, and Helmholtz energy scaling viscosity models further demonstrate how coupling these models with PρT-SAFT enhances prediction reliability for ethylene glycols and alkanolamine mixtures. Significant work also explores the modeling of pure, binary, and ternary mixtures of alkanolamines using multiple SAFT versions, contributing valuable data for chemical engineering processes such as gas treatment and solvent design. Moreover, upcoming studies assess the performance of PρT-SAFT, PC-SAFT, CPA, and related equations of state for predicting density, heat capacity, compressibility, speed of sound, and vapor pressure in pure ethylene glycols and their mixtures, collectively advancing the broader understanding of molecular thermodynamics in engineering science.

Featured Publications

Pakravesh, A. (2025). A review of cubic and statistical associating fluid theory equations of state for modeling supercritical hydrogen. Green Technology & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.36922/GTI025290010

Pakravesh, A. (2025). From molecules to industry: The expanding role of SAFT equation of state in engineering science. Clareus Scientific Science and Engineering.

Pakravesh, A., Mohammadi, A. H., & Richon, D. (2025). Modeling of supercritical hydrogen thermodynamic properties using cubic and SAFT type equations of state. The Journal of Supercritical Fluids. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2025.106588

Kalaivanan Nagarajan | Chemistry | Young Scientist Award

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Dr. Kalaivanan Nagarajan | Chemistry | Young Scientist Award

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai | India

Dr. Kalaivanan Nagarajan research focuses on exploring the fundamental and applied aspects of light–matter strong coupling, particularly vibrational strong coupling (VSC), to understand and manipulate chemical reactivity and material properties within optical cavities. By integrating principles from physical chemistry, quantum electrodynamics, and materials science, the work investigates how molecular vibrations interact coherently with confined optical modes in Fabry–Perot cavities to form hybrid light–matter states known as vibrational polaritons. These studies reveal how strong coupling conditions can reshape potential energy surfaces, influence molecular structure, dynamics, and reaction kinetics, and ultimately enable control of chemical transformations without the need for external photoexcitation. A key highlight of this research is the demonstration that VSC can modulate phase transition behaviors, such as the glass transition temperature of polymers like polyvinyl acetate and polystyrene, providing experimental evidence of cavity-modified thermomechanical properties. Through systematic spectroscopic, thermodynamic, and theoretical investigations, the research establishes how vacuum electromagnetic fields play an active role in determining material behavior and chemical outcomes. This pioneering approach contributes to the emerging field of polariton chemistry, offering new pathways for designing energy-efficient reactions, reactivity control strategies, and material innovations driven by quantum light–matter interactions.

Featured Publications

Thomas, A., Lethuillier-Karl, L., Nagarajan, K., Vergauwe, R. M. A., George, J., & Ebbesen, T. W. (2019). Tilting a ground-state reactivity landscape by vibrational strong coupling. Science, 363(6427), 615–619. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau7742

Nagarajan, K., Thomas, A., & Ebbesen, T. W. (2021). Chemistry under vibrational strong coupling. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 143(41), 16877–16889. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c07487

Sharma, P., Damien, D., Nagarajan, K., Shaijumon, M. M., & Hariharan, M. (2013). Perylene-polyimide-based organic electrode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 4(19), 3192–3197. https://doi.org/10.1021/jz401590t

Vergauwe, R. M. A., Thomas, A., Nagarajan, K., Shalabney, A., George, J., & Ebbesen, T. W. (2019). Modification of enzyme activity by vibrational strong coupling of water. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 58(43), 15324–15328. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201906346

 Nagarajan, K., Mallia, A. R., Muraleedharan, K., & Hariharan, M. (2017). Enhanced intersystem crossing in core-twisted aromatics. Chemical Science, 8(3), 1776–1782. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6SC04791E

 Banda, H., Damien, D., Nagarajan, K., Hariharan, M., & Shaijumon, M. M. (2015). A polyimide-based all-organic sodium ion battery. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 3(19), 10453–10458. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5TA01921B

Thomas, A., Jayachandran, A., Lethuillier-Karl, L., Vergauwe, R. M. A., Nagarajan, K., George, J., & Ebbesen, T. W. (2020). Ground state chemistry under vibrational strong coupling: Dependence of thermodynamic parameters on the Rabi splitting energy. Nanophotonics, 9(2), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2019-0357

Banda, H., Damien, D., Nagarajan, K., Raj, A., Hariharan, M., & Shaijumon, M. M. (2017). Twisted perylene diimides with tunable redox properties for organic sodium-ion batteries. Advanced Energy Materials, 7(20), 1701316. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201701316

Prajnashree Panda | Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Prajnashree Panda l Chemistry
| Best Researcher Award

Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai | India

Dr. Prajnashree Panda’s research focuses on the rational design, synthesis, and development of advanced nanostructured materials for next-generation energy storage and conversion technologies. Her work primarily targets the fabrication and optimization of high-performance electrode materials for sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries, as well as supercapacitors, emphasizing the integration of nanostructured metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, and metal-organic frameworks. She has made significant contributions to understanding structure–property relationships in hybrid and porous carbon-based materials, aiming to enhance electrochemical performance, cycling stability, and energy density. Her research extends to the synthesis of heteroatom-doped porous carbons and two-dimensional boron carbonitride materials for multifunctional applications, including gas adsorption and catalysis. Dr. Panda’s experimental expertise encompasses a wide range of advanced material synthesis techniques such as solvothermal, electrospinning, and electrodeposition methods, coupled with comprehensive characterization using XRD, FESEM, TEM, XPS, and electrochemical analysis. Her collaborative studies on high-voltage cathodes have contributed to sustainable advancements in battery chemistry, addressing critical challenges in energy density and structural degradation. By integrating nanocatalysis and electrochemical insight, her research offers innovative pathways for CO₂ reduction, hydrogen evolution, and next-generation cathode design, positioning her work at the forefront of clean energy materials research

Featured Publication

Panda, P. (2024). Next-generation high-voltage cathodes for lithium-ion batteries: Challenges, innovations, and future directions. Journal of Energy Materials, 15(2), 123–145. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Madhu R | Chemistry | Young Scientist Award

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Dr. Madhu R | Chemistry | Young Scientist Award

IISER-Tirupati/JNCASR | India

Dr. Madhu R is a distinguished researcher currently serving as a Research Associate at IISER Tirupati/JNCASR, India, specializing in molecular therapeutics and neurodegenerative disease biology. He earned his Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc & AH/DVM) in Veterinary Medicine from Veterinary College, Bidar, Karnataka, in July 2015, and completed his doctoral research at JNCASR (2017–2023) under the guidance of Prof. T. Govindaraju. His Ph.D. work focused on Alzheimer’s disease, neuroinflammation, RNA biology, and mouse models, where he investigated dysregulated miRNA-mRNA axes, ASRIJ gene functions, and developed multifunctional small molecule therapeutics targeting amyloid-β, tau, metals, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. He subsequently contributed to cutting-edge research on RNA therapeutics, dendrimers, peptide-based drugs, and biomarker probes for Alzheimer’s and cancer management. At IISER Tirupati, working with Prof. K. N. Ganesh, his research focuses on peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), including Janus PNAs for cellular uptake studies and therapeutic targeting of miRNA structures to modulate inflammation. His thesis titled “Visual detection of Listeria monocytogenes DNA using gold nanoprobes” reflects his early expertise in molecular diagnostics. Dr. Madhu has published impactful research, accumulating 592 citations, an h-index of 14, and an i10-index of 15, highlighting his significant contributions to neurobiology, RNA therapeutics, and molecular medicine.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Ramesh, M., & Govindaraju, T. (2025). MiR-7a-Klf4 axis as a regulator and therapeutic target of neuroinflammation and ferroptosis in Alzheimer’s disease. NAR Molecular Medicine, ugaf022.

Thimmaiah, G., Ramesh, M., & Balachandra, C. (2025). Amyloid and associated pathology modulators and methods thereof (U.S. Patent Application No. 18/843,676).

Dongre, P., Ramesh, M., Govindaraju, T., & Inamdar, M. S. (2025). Asrij/OCIAD1 depletion reduces inflammatory microglial activation and ameliorates Aβ pathology in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. Journal of Neuroinflammation, 22(1), 89.

Mandal, S., Ramesh, M., & Govindaraju, T. (2025). Strategic mutations in designer native peptides combat NLRP3 inflammasome activation in neurodegenerative disorders. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 68(3), 2890–2902. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.xxxxxxx ← (Add actual DOI if available)

Dongre, P., Ramesh, M., Govindaraju, T., & Inamdar, M. S. (2025). Asrij/OCIAD1 contributes to age-associated microglial activation and neuroinflammation in mice. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 17, 1674136. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2025.1674136