Kalaivanan Nagarajan | Chemistry | Young Scientist Award

Published on by Young Scientists Awards

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

Anil Chauhan | Organic Chemistry | Young Researcher Award

Published on by Young Scientists Awards

Dr. Anil Chauhan | Organic Chemistry | Young Researcher Award

Osaka University | Japan

Dr. Anil Chauhan is a postdoctoral researcher at Osaka University, Japan, with expertise in catalysis research, asymmetric synthesis, synthetic methodology, and organometallic chemistry. He completed his doctoral studies in Medicinal and Process Chemistry at CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, under the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, where his research focused on developing desymmetrization strategies for the synthesis of ring-fused heterocycles of biological relevance. He also holds a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics from M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly. Prior to joining Osaka University, he gained industry experience as a research scientist at Jubilant Biosys Limited, where he worked on drug discovery and process development. Dr. Chauhan has contributed significantly to the field of organic chemistry through multiple publications in high-impact international journals such as Organic Letters and Green Chemistry. His research has centered on innovative synthetic methodologies, catalyst-controlled reactions, and the design of complex polycyclic scaffolds with biological importance. In addition to his publications, he has presented his work at leading conferences and workshops, receiving recognition such as the Best Poster Award and incentive awards for research excellence. He is highly skilled in designing and executing multi-step organic syntheses, handling sensitive reagents and catalysts, and employing advanced techniques such as NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, chromatography, and Schlenk line operations. He also demonstrates proficiency in scientific writing, presentations, student supervision, and the use of computational tools like Chemdraw and SciFinder for research support. Known for his strong dedication, technical expertise, and collaborative spirit, Dr. Chauhan has developed a deep knowledge of desymmetrization and the synthesis of heterocyclic frameworks. With international exposure, academic achievements, and industry experience, he continues to build a research career aimed at advancing innovation in synthetic organic chemistry and contributing solutions with medicinal and therapeutic relevance.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications

  • Husen, S., Chauhan, A., & Kumar, R. (2020). Site-selective 1,3-double functionalization of arenes using para-quinol, C–N, and C–C/C–P three-component coupling. Green Chemistry, 22(4), 1119–1124.

  • Patel, R. K., Chauhan, A., Jha, P., Kant, R., & Kumar, R. (2022). Catalytic Friedel–Crafts alkylative desymmetrization of cyclohexa-2,5-dienones: Access to linear and bridged polycyclic pyrroles and 3-arylpyrroles. Organic Letters, 24(29), 5422–5427.

  • Patel, R. K., Jha, P., Chauhan, A., Kant, R., & Kumar, R. (2024). Polycyclic pyrazoles from alkynyl cyclohexadienones and nonstabilized diazoalkanes via [3+2]-cycloaddition/[1,5]-sigmatropic rearrangement/aza-Michael reaction cascade. Organic Letters, 26(4), 839–844.

  • Mishra, A. K., Chauhan, A., Kumar, S., Kant, R., & Kumar, R. (2023). Catalyst-controlled diastereoselective synthesis of bridged [3.3.1] bis(indolyl)-oxanes and oxepanes via desymmetrization of bis(indolyl)-cyclohexadienones. Organic Letters, 25(17), 3034–3039.

  • Chauhan, A., Patel, R. K., Grellier, M., & Kumar, R. (2020). Hydrogen-bond-guided reaction of cyclohexadienone-aldehydes with amines: Synthesis of an aminal group containing a fused tetracyclic framework. Organic Letters, 22(15), 6177–6181.