Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

NIST bags research project

Special Correspondent

A. Ajayaghosh

Thiruvananthapuram: A. Ajayaghosh, senior scientist at the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIST), formerly the Regional Research Laboratory, has bagged a project worth Rs.1.32 crore from the Nanoscience and Technology Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

The assistance has been sanctioned for a research programme on the design of organic nanomaterials for electronic and photonic applications.

NIST director T.K. Chandrashekar said this was the highest quantum of financial assistance awarded to an individual scientist in the history of the institute. The first instalment of Rs.1.17 crore for the implementation of the project has already reached the institute.

The funds will be utilised for the purchase of sophisticated equipment such as the MALDI- TOF (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Time Of Flight). This machine is essential for the molecular weight determination of polymers and proteins.

For the past several years, Mr. Ajayghosh has been working in the area of molecular self assemblies of photo and electroactive organic molecules. He uses a special class of molecules called conjugated systems with interesting optical and electronic properties that are important for the design of electronic and photonic devices.

Mr. Ajayaghosh and his research team make use of weak interactions between molecules to create large assemblies with definite size and shape. This is in a way mimicking Nature's principle of making biological assemblies.

Mr. Ajayaghosh's papers have been published in top journals. He has received many awards, including the Ramanna Fellowship 2007 and the Materials Research Society medal 2007. He was also a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences.

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