Associate Professor
Department of Chemical Sciences
📍 5F10 Academic Block II
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Research Area
Physical Organic Chemistry
Research Interests
Key areas:
Physical Organic Chemistry
Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Photoswitchable Functional Materials
Spectroscopy, Photochemistry and Reactive Intermediates Chemistry
Broader areas: Our broader research objectives are in utilizing the concepts of physical organic and synthetic organic chemistry towards design, development and studies on reactive species, and photoswitchable (functional) molecules and materials. A lot of emphasis will be given on basic research, particularly in the areas of synthetic organic chemistry, spectroscopy and photochemistry.
Matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy: One of our major areas of interest is to understand the structure, stability and reactivity of radicals and highly reactive species. In this regard, we utilize an experimental technique called matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy. At very low temperatures (4 K), gases like argon, neon and nitrogen form transparent matrices in the UV and IR regions. By controlling the dilution in such gases, molecules can indeed be isolated and trapped. If the molecules of interest are prepared with photo-labile groups, transient and unstable species can be generated in matrix isolation conditions through photolysis. Alternatively, a precursor molecule with thermo-labile group can be sublimed through a hot quartz tube at very high temperature and high vacuum so as to generate transient species. The kinetically stable products can be trapped in argon or nitrogen matrices at low temperature. Further photochemistry of such transient products can also be followed to get information about their reactivity. A detailed infrared/UV spectroscopic investigation will be performed along with computational studies in order to understand the structural information and mechanistic pathways. Studies on heterocyclic transient species, photosensitized transients and developing model systems for radical damage are part of this investigation.
Photoswitchable functional molecules and materials: Azoheteroarenes are robust switchable molecules with varying switching kinetics depending on the substitutions. Manipulation in the switching rate and functions can be made by changing the substitution. Our research interest in this regard is to impart modulation of function by light to the simple and multiple azoheteroarene-based systems functionalizaed with suitable moieties. Systematic design, synthesis, photochemistry and spectroscopic studies with respect to switching and transporting behaviour will be the major components of this project. The functions include light controlled catalysis, supramolecular assemplies, energy storages, sensors, etc.
2020 : Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali
2013 - 2020 : Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali
2011 - 2013 : Research Scientist I in the Discovery Unit in Betalactams Synthetic Division at Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Research & Development Centre, Chennai, India
2001 - 2003 : Research Chemist in the Synthetic Division at Orchid Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Research & Development Centre, Chennai, India.
2009 - 2010 : Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellow in the group of Prof. Rainer Herges, Institute for Organic Chemistry, Kiel University, Germany
2008 - 2009 : Postdoc in the group of Prof. Wolfram Sander, Faculty of Organic Chemistry II, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
2003 - 2007 : Doctoral student worked in the thesis entitled “Synthesis and Characterization of perhydro- and perfluoro-tris(dehydro)benzene triradicals – Matrix isolation infrared spectroscopic and quantum chemical studies” under the guidance of Prof. Wolfram Sander, Faculty of Organic Chemistry II, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
1999 - 2001 : M.Sc., Dept. of Chemistry, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India.
2000 - 2001 : Master thesis entitled Conformational Preferences of 1,4-Thiazine 1,1-Dioxide Derivatives under Prof.R. Jeyaraman, Dept. of Chemistry, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India.
1999 : Summer Research Project entitled Photophysical Studies of Acridinedione (ADD) dyes doped in Poly(methylmethaacrylate) (PMMA) matrix under Prof. P. Natarajan at National Centre for Ultra Fast Processes (NCUFP), University of Madras, Chennai, India
1996 - 1999 : B.Sc. (Chemistry), AVC College (Autonomous), Mayiladuthurai (affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India).
Awarded "Bronze medal" by Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI), India (2024)
Associate Editor of the journal Photochemistry and Photobiology, the official journal of the American Society for Photobiology, published by Wiley-Blackwell, Inc. (2023)
Received Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Fellowship for postdoctoral research (2008)
Received a book prize for getting distinction in Doctoral degree (Summa Cum Laude) in 2007
Gold medallist in the B.Sc. degree for being topper in the class in 1999
Anjali Mahadevan, Piyush Kumar, Sapna Singh and Sugumar Venkataramani. Photochemistry of 2-Iodobenzothiazole and Iodine-Triggered 2-Isocyanophenylthiyl Radical Cyclization in Argon Matrices. The Journal of Organic Chemistry 88(15):10574–10585, 2023.
Debapriya Gupta, Ankit Kumar Gaur, Ramanpreet Kaur, Ashish, Navneet Kaur and Sugumar Venkataramani. Photoswitchable Azoheteroarene-Based Chelating Ligands: Light Modulation of Properties, Aqueous Solubility and Catalysis. Chemistry–A European Journal 29(60):e202301906, 2023.
Ankit Kumar Gaur, Debapriya Gupta, Anjali Mahadevan, Pravesh Kumar, Himanshu Kumar, Dhanyaj Narayanan Nampoothiry, Navneet Kaur, Sandeep Kumar Thakur, Sanjay Singh, Toma?s? Slanina and others. Bistable Aryl Azopyrazolium Ionic Photoswitches in Water. Journal of the American Chemical Society 145(19):10584–10594, 2023.
Mayank Saraswat, Satyam Ravi, KR Shamasundar and Sugumar Venkataramani. Photochemistry of 3, 6-Didehydropyridazine Biradical? An Untraceable Para Benzyne Analogue. The Journal of Physical Chemistry A 126(4):557–567, 2022.
Surbhi Grewal, Saonli Roy, Himanshu Kumar, Mayank Saraswat, Naimat K Bari, Sharmistha Sinha and Sugumar Venkataramani. Temporal control in tritylation reactions through light-driven variation in chloride ion binding catalysis–a proof of concept. Catalysis Science & Technology 10(20):7027–7033, 2020.
Pravesh Kumar, Anjali Srivastava, Chitranjan Sah, Sudha Devi and Sugumar Venkataramani. Arylazo-3, 5-dimethylisoxazoles: Azoheteroarene Photoswitches Exhibiting High Z-Isomer Stability, Solid-State Photochromism, and Reversible Light-Induced Phase Transition. Chemistry–A European Journal 25(51):11924–11932, 2019.