Ganesh V.'s Profile
Current Address
Ganesh Venkataraman
Assistant Professor
704, 7th Floor, Tower-A, JCG-PCR Building,
Department of Chemistry
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Kharagpur - 721302, West Bengal.
Tel: +91-3222-283318 (Internal IIT-kgp): 83318
E-mail:
Short Bio Sketch
Venkataraman Ganesh received his early education from Bishop Heber College Tiruchirapalli (2001-2004) and joined the Integrated Ph.D. program (Chemical Sciences) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore (2004). Ganesh obtained his Ph.D. in 2013, working with Prof. S. Chandrasekaran as a CSIR-Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (CSIR-SPM) fellow. He had postdoctoral stints as a JSPS fellow (2013–15) with Prof. M. Shibasaki at BIKAKEN, Japan, and as a Newton International Fellow (2016–18) with Prof. V. K. Aggarwal at the University of Bristol, UK. He started his independent research career in 2018 at the Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India, and held the Ramanujan fellowship till 2023 (SERB, India). His research interests include exploiting transition-metal catalysts and boron chemistry to develop new synthetic methodologies and mechanistic studies.
Education
2007 – 2012: Ph. D. (Integrated), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore.
2004–2007: M.S. (Integrated Ph. D.) Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, India.
2001–2004: B.Sc. Chemistry Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
Professional Experience
Aug'18 - Present: Assistant Professor Grade I, IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
2018 - 2018: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Bristol, UK
2016 - 2018: Newton International Fellow, University of Bristol, UK
2013 - 2015: JSPS Fellow, Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Tokyo, Japan.
2009: Short-term Exchange Researcher, University of Paris–11
Awards and Fellowships
Vishnu Ji Ram Memorial Award for Best Shotgun Presentation - 27th ISCB Conference at BIT Mesra, Ranchi -18th-Nov-2022
Top Teaching Feedback - IIT Kharagpur - Spring 2019
Early Career Research Award - SERB, Department of Science and Technology (2019-2022).
Ramanujan Fellowship - SERB, Department of Science and Technology (2018-2023)
Newton International Fellowship – The Royal Society, London UK (2016-18)
JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellowship – Japanese Science and Technology (2013-15)
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Fellowship – CSIR-SPM (2008-12)
Junior Research Fellowship – CSIR (2007)
Bharathidasan University – Rank Holder
Academic Excellence Award (B. Sc.) (2002)
Invited Lectures as PI
Emerging Trends in Catalysis and Synthesis (ETCS-2024), IIT Kharagpur - 7th-Mar-2024 to 9th-Mar-2024
National Organic Symposium Trust (NOST), ITC Bhubaneswar - 29th-Feb-2024 to 3rd-Mar-2024
Current Trends in Chemical Sciences, CRSI-LCC, Madurai Kamaraj University - 21st-Feb-2024 to 23rd-Feb-2024
Indo-French Seminar on Catalysis and Sustainability, IISER Trivandrum - 10th-Dec-2023 to 13th-Dec-2023
International Conference on Organometallics and Catalysis (ICOC-2023) at Goa - 30th-Oct-2023 to 2nd-Nov-2023
27th ISCB Conference at BIT Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand - 18th-Nov-2022
"Boron Compounds: A Spirited Horse in Organic Synthesis and Beyond" Refresher Course on Organic Chemistry, University of Hyderabad - 13-Feb-2021
Membership of Societies
Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) Life Member.
Chirantan Rasayan Sanstha (CRS) Life Member
Indian Photobiology Society (IPS) Life Member
Other Academic Activities
PG Lab Professor In-Charge Aug 2023 – Present
Department Website Admin Aug 2023 – Present
Co-Principal In-charge - LCMS Lab - ESI MS, Central Research Facility, IIT KGP Jan 2023 - Present
Program Officer, NSO (Health & Fitness) IIT KGP Apr 2022 – Present
UGPEC Member (Dept.) Mar 2022 – Present
MOODLE Coordinator – Department of Chemistry – 2020 – Present
Professor In-Charge - GCMS Instrument Jan 2019 - Present
Funding Sources
ONGOING PROJECTS
“Stereoselective Hydroboration of Conjugated and Skipped Diynes as a Platform for Iterative Chemistry” Core Research Grant (SERB); Jan. 2023.
“Ligand-Enabled Regioselective Cyclotrimerization of Alkynes Through Ion-Pairing and Other Weak Interactions” MoE-STARS; Sep. 2023
COMPLETED PROJECTS
“Metal-Catalyzed Enantioselective Difunctionalization of Fleeting Arynes and Cyclic Alkyne Intermediates” Early Career Research Award (SERB); Mar. 2019 – Mar. 2022.
“Asymmetric Metal-Mediated Difunctionalization of Unsaturated Systems” Institute Scheme for Innovative Research and Development (ISIRD); Feb. 2019 – Feb. 2023.
“Transition-Metal mediated Enantioselective Reductive Coupling of Alkynes with Electrophiles” Ramanujan Fellowship; Nov. 2018 – Nov. 2023.
ISIRD
Ramanujan Fellowship
Core Research Grant
Teaching
Current Year
SD11004: Organic Chemistry - I for BSc BEd
CY11001 : First Year Chemistry [3-1-0]
Courses Taught (2018-present)
CY19013 : First Year Chemistry Lab [0-0-3] || (2018 - Present)
CY51003 : Spectroscopic Methods of Structure Determination [3-1-0] || (Autumn 2019 - Autumn 2021)
CY39003 : Organic Chemistry Laboratory II [0-0-6]|| (Autumn 2019 - Autumn 2022)
CY11001 : First Year Chemistry [3-1-0] || (Autumn 2019 - Spring 2022; 6 Semesters)
CY00001 : Prep. Theory [3-1-0] || (Spring 2018)
CY31010 : Strategies and Methods in Organic synthesis [3-1-0] Sharing - 2 Credits || (Spring 2018)
CY20215: Fundamental of Organic Reactions [4-0-0]
CY30208: Intermediates and Transition States in Organic Synthesis [3-0-0]
CY11001: Chemistry [3-1-0]
Course Content:
1. Understanding the 3-D Structure of Organic Compounds
Concept of chirality and molecular structure (basic symmetry elements Sigma -plane and inversion centre); Representations in 2D and 3D forms; Absolute configuration and CIP nomenclature (case studies); Molecules devoid of point chirality (allenes and biphenyls brief discussion); Significance of chirality in living systems (brief discussion);
Conformational analysis (definition and implication); Dihedral angle, torsional angle, and strain); Few acyclic systems (Gauche butane interactions); Few monocyclic systems and its conformational aspects (Cyclopropane to Cyclohexanes)
2. Initial Strategies towards the Synthesis of New Chemical Entities:
Nucleophilic Substitution reaction at saturated carbon (SN2/SN1 and SNi reaction; Definitely brief SNi and NGP in detail), Stereochemical implication of SN reactions; Elimination reaction: Syn 1,2 elimination reactions (Cope and related reactions with examples)
Books:
Organic Chemistry: Paula Bruice; A Guide Book to Mechanism in Organic Chemistry, P. Sykes; Organic Chemistry: Clayden, Greeves, Warren, Wothers
CY19001: Basic Organic Chemistry Lab Course for B. Tech. [0-0-3]
Course Content:
Identification of Unknown Organic Solids by Functional Group Analysis
Identification of Unknown Organic Liquids by Functional Group Analysis
Synthesis of Benzoic acid from Acetophenone
Qualitative Reaction Rate Comparison of Various Alkyl Halides under SN2 and SN1 Conditions
CY39003: Organic Chemistry Laboratory II [0-0-6]
Natural Product Isolation and Characterization:
Caffeine from tea
Euginol from clove
Lactose from milk powder
Lycopene from tomato
Chlorophyl from green leaves
D-Limonene from orange peel
Curcumin from turmeric
Organic Synthesis and Characterization:
Napthaldehyde
Hippuric acid
Methyl orange
Thiamine hydrochloride catalysed synthesis of benzoin
Hydantoin synthesis
CY51003 : Spectroscopic Methods of Structure Determination [3-1-0]
Infrared Spectroscopy for Characterization of Organic Compounds:
Electromagnetic spectrum and applications of IR light
Differences between UV and IR Spectrum; different parts of IR spectrum
Hooke's Law and Dipole Moment
Functional group analysis and identification, Influence of electronic parameters on the peak position
Special focus on the hydrogen-bonding effects, Differentiation of Intra- and Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding, and various carbonyl functionalities.