Head, Catalysis Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411 008
(Retired as Scientist G from NCL (CSIR) end of May 2003)

Post-doctoral Fellow (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation) Institute of Technical Chemistry I, University of Erlangen-Nürenberg, Erlangen, Germany.
(Mentor: Prof. Dr. Hans Hoffman)

• Heterogeneous catalysis: development of catalysts for processes in petroleum refining, petrochemical, bulk chemical and fine chemical industries.
• Chemistry of catalytic processes: Catalytic reforming, hydrotreating, deep hydrodesulfurization, catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, hydrodewaxing and hydroisomerization.
• Selection and design of catalysts for different applications: The role of metal, support and promoters.
• Phenomenon of deactivation of catalysts: aging and catalyst poisons; regeneration of catalysts.
• Synthesis of catalysts and their characterization: influence of preparation parameters on the properties of catalysts; structural and textural characterization of catalysts; application of different spectral techniques for surface and bulk analysis; structure-property relationship in catalysis.
• Testing and screening of catalysts: Design of experiments in micro- and bench-scale reactors; optimization of reaction parameters; kinetics of catalytic reactions.
• Isomorphous substitution in zeolites: synthesis of novel metallo-silicate molecular sieves; location and environment of metal ions in zeolites and molecular sieves.
• Selective oxidation and hydroxylation of hydrocarbons for the synthesis of fine chemicals.
• Study of mixed metal oxides, condensed materials, perovskites, fluorites and spinels through novel methods of preparation and characterization.
• Exhaust emission control catalysts: total oxidation of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide; deNOx reactions; three-way catalytic converters for automotive applications.
• Pillared-clays: intercalation of pillaring precursors, stability of PILCs, and catalytic applications.
• New Materials- Synthesis and Characterization.

• My current interest in the academic institution centers on synthesis of novel materials through some new techniques, which are unconventional. Some ceria and zirconia-based materials, and with metal incorporated in them have been synthesized and characterized for long range and short range orders in these materials by a variety of techniques. Possible applications of such materials include sensors, electrodes and catalysis for environmental benefits including photocatalysis.
• Teaching courses on homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis (3 rd and 4 th semester) of M.Sc. (Inorganic Chemistry) at the Department. These courses have been devised to suit the present syllabus and to give the students a feel for the application of organo-metallics as catalysts in industrial homogeneous catalytic processes. Materials chemistry includes detailed exposure to porous materials in general and zeolites in particular. The final semester deals with a course on zeolites and application of zeolites and porous materials in heterogeneous catalysis.
• A member of the faculty for winter/summer schools on catalysis and orientation programs for research scholars in Catalysis (three-week courses) sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi at different centers in the country for the last 5 years.

• Founder - Life Member, The Catalysis Society of India (1974).
• Member, International Zeolite Association (1992).
• Member, Council of the International Congress on Catalysis (1988-1992).
• Founder Member, Indo-Pacific Catalysis Association (1996).
• Secretary, Indo-Pacific Catalysis Association (1998-2001).
• Life Member, Chemical Research Society of India (1999).
• Vice-President, Indo-Pacific Catalysis Association (2001-2003).
• President, The Catalysis Society of India (2001-2003).
• Member, Council of International Congress on Catalysis (2001-2004).
• Co-Chair, Organizing Committee, 14 International Zeolite Conference, Cape Town , South Africa (2004).

• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellow (1978-79).
• CSIR Technology Award for commercialization of Bimetallic reforming catalyst (1992).
• ICICI Technology of the Year Award for commercialization of a catalyst for methanol to formaldehyde (1994).
• ICICI Technology of the Year Award for commercialization of a catalyst for the isomerization of chloroaromatics (2002).
• Member, Program Advisory Committee (Physical Chemistry) of Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi (1999-2001 and 2004-2007)
• Prof. R.A. Rajadhyaksha Lectureship, University Department of Chemical Technology, University of Bombay , Mumbai (2000).
• Member, Editorial Board of Eurasian Chemico-Technological Journal, Pub. Academy of Sciences , Almaty , Kazakhstan (2000-2004).
• Member, Editorial Board of Applied Catalysis A: General, Pub. Elsevier, Amsterdam , The Netherlands (2001-2003).
• Leader of Indian Delegation to First Indo-Kazakhstan Workshop on Catalysis, Almaty , Kazakhstan (2000).
• Member, Program Advisory Committee (Chemistry and Catalysis), International Collaborations, Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi (2001-2003).
• Leader of Indian Delegation to Indo-Hungarian Workshop on Surface Chemistry and Catalysis on Nanoparticles, Budapest , Hungary (2003).
• Member, Editorial Board of the Bulletin of the Catalysis Society of India. Vice-President, Humboldt Academy of Pune, Pune (2005-2007)

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