Prof. G. Sekar obtained his Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur in 1999 under the guidance of Padma Shri Prof. Vinod K. Singh. Dr. Sekar was a JSPS postdoctoral fellow (with Prof. H. Nishiyama) at Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan, and an AvH postdoctoral fellow (with Prof. L. F. Tietze) at Goettingen University, Germany. He also conducted postdoctoral research (with Prof. Brian M. Stoltz ) at Caltech, USA. Prof. Sekar was a visiting professor at EPFL, Switzerland, from May 1, 2023, to July 22, 2023.
Prof. Sekar’s research activity on organic synthesis focuses on developing new synthetic methodologies employing environmentally benign homogeneous catalysts, metal nanocatalysts, and halogen bonding catalysis. His group synthesized the first enantiopure model of the Galactose Oxidase enzyme and mimicked its activity for synthesising important enantiopure alcohols through oxidative kinetic resolution. His group has synthesized a new class of highly stable palladium and platinum semi-heterogeneous nanocatalysts stabilized by M – C (sp2) covalent bonds and utilized them as easily recoverable/reusable green catalysts. Recently, his group has developed new catalysts using principles of halogen bonding interaction, an emerging field in catalysis.
Prof. Sekar is the author of 139 publications and 09 patents (granted/filed), graduated 27 Ph.D. students, and presently guiding 11 Ph.D. scholars. He is the recipient of the Senior Scientist Award-2021 by the Academy of Sciences Chennai, the CRSI bronze medal-2015, the Institute Research and Development Award (Mid-Career)-2017, JSPS, AvH postdoctoral fellowships, and AvH equipment award. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (FNASc, 2019), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), and a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences, Chennai (FASCh). He is also a council member of the National Organic Symposium Trust (NOST), Chemical Research Society of India (Joint Secretary, CRSI), and Academy of Sciences, Chennai.
Prof. Sekar is a member of SERB PAC for Special Call Proposals (Chemical Sciences), co-opted member of SERB organic chemistry PAC, Selection Committee Member of DST INSPIRE Faculty Fellowships, SERB expert committee member for the Centre of Excellence on “Sustainable and Affordable Synthetic Strategies towards APIs, President of IIT Madras Faculty Association, Vice President of RSC-South India Local Section, Associate Editor of Frontiers in Chemistry (Catalytic Reactions and Chemistry) and Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Chemical Sciences.
- Number of papers published: 142
- Number of Ph.D. students (completed): 27
- Number of Ph.D. students (ongoing): 12
- Number of sponsored projects (completed): 12
- Number of sponsored projects (ongoing): 04
- Invited/guest lectures delivered: 141
- Number of patents (filed/granted) 11
- H-index: 40; Total citation: 4,838 (as on April 20, 2024); Source: Scopus; Scopus ID: 6602184820)
- Our recent research regarding the conversion of toluene to benzoic acid using Pt-BNP nano-catalyst in water (in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2019, 250, 325) was highlighted in “The Hindu” national English newspaper on 31st March 2019 (Page 13 of Chennai Edition)
- DD National (Science) TV / RS TV news coverage about the conversion of toluene to benzoic acid using our Pt-BNP nano-catalyst in water (18.5.2019, Science Monitor)
PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS HELD
- Professor (HAG), Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras, India (July 2021 – till date)
- Visiting Professor, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, EPFL, Switzerland (May 1 – July 22, 2023)
- Professor, Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras, India (July 2014 – June 2021)
- Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras, India (May 2010 – July 2014)
- Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras, India (Dec. 2004 – May 2010)
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION, AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, Etc.
- Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Chemical Sciences (Jan. 2023 to Dec. 2025)
- President, IIT Madras Faculty Association (Nov.2022 – Oct. 2025)
- Associate Editor, Frontiers in Chemistry (Catalytic Reactions and Chemistry) from Sep. 2022 to date (Impact factor: 5.545)
- Expert committee member for the Centre of Excellence on “Sustainable and Affordable Synthetic Strategies towards APIs, SERB, India.
- Member, Programme Advisory Committee (PAC), Special Call Proposals for Chemical Sciences, DST-SERB (May 2022 – May 2025)
- Vice president, RSC – South India Local Section (2022 – till date)
- Senior Scientist Award for 2021 (Dr. M. Santappa Award in Chemical Sciences) by the Academy of Sciences Chennai.
- Selection Committee Member, DST INSPIRE Faculty Fellowships, DST-INSPIRE program (Jan. 2022 – Jan. 2025)
- Review Editor of Frontiers in Chemistry (Catalytic Reactions and Chemistry) from Dec. 2021 to Aug. 2022 (Impact factor: 5.221)
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/sections/catalytic-reactions-and-chemistry#editorial-board - Member of reviewers’ panel for Current Organocatalysis journal, Current Organic Synthesis journal and Current Catalysis journal (2022 onwards)
- Co-opted member, Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) of Organic Chemistry, DST-SERB (June 2021 – June 2024)
- Member of Executive Committee of R&D Cell, Annamacharya Institute of Technology & Sciences, Rajampet, AP (2021-22 to 2023-24)
- Continuous reviewer for CSIR-FIRST (Fundamental & Innovative Research in Science of Tomorrow) Scheme, CSIR India (from April 2021)
- Member of the Screening Committee of DST “SERB-SUPRA,” 2020-2021
- Convener, Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) Chennai Regional Chapter (2020 – 2023)
- RSC – South India Local Section Committee Member (2020- 2021)
- Golden Jubilee Alumni endowment award lecture (March 2020), Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Madras, Chennai
- Joint Secretary, Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI)(April 2020 – March 2023)
- Executive council member, Academy of Sciences, Chennai (2020 – till date)
- Fellow National Academy of Sciences (FNASc., 2019)
- Regional Coordinator (Chennai), KVPY (2019 – till date)
- Our recent research regarding converting toluene to benzoic acid using Pt-BNP nano-catalyst in water (in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2019, 250, 325) was highlighted in “The Hindu” national English newspaper on 31st March 2019.
- DD National (Science) TV / RS TV news coverage about the conversion of toluene to benzoic acid using our Pt-BNP nano-catalyst in water (18.5.2019, Science Monitor)
- National Organic Symposium Trust (NOST) council member (Jan. 2019 – Dec. 2022)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, 2018)
- Fellow of the Academy of Sciences, Chennai (FASCh., 2018)
- Institute Research & Development Award (IRDA-2017; Mid-career award) by IIT Madras
- Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) council member (April 2017 – March 2020)
- Bronze medal for the year 2015 by Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI)
- Member, Tamil Nadu’s “State Crisis Group” for “management of chemical accidents” (from August 2013 – till date)
- Editorial board member of “ISRN Organic Chemistry” (Hindawi’s open access, peer-reviewed journal) (from Sep. 2010 – 2013)
- AvH Foundation’s (Germany) Equipment Grant (2009-10; Euro 19,778)
- DST Fast Track Research Project for Young Scientists (2005-2008, this project was rated as “Excellent” by DST expert committee)
- Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship (AvH), Germany (July 2001 – December 2002)
- JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship, Japan (April 2000 – June 2001)
- GATE / CSIR research fellowship and CSIR-RA fellowship
- SSLC (school topper); HSC (branch topper); B. Sc. (college topper)
