Editorial pubs.acs.org/cm
Chemistry of Materials Celebrates the 80th Birthday of One of the Premier “Chemists of Materials” in 1959. His initial choice for independent research work was inorganic materials and spectroscopy, and his first research grant to support this work was a total of Rs. 3000, equivalent to ∼$US 750 at the time. The unfavorable US dollar to rupee conversion rate, coupled with restrictions on importing equipment and chemicals into India at that time, was not conducive to the ambitious research program that C.N.R. chose to undertake. C.N.R. received several offers then and later from universities in the US and UK but chose to remain in India. What induced C.N.R. to both return to India and remain is a question only he can answer, but with the perspective of time, it is clear that his desire to carry out his work in India demanded enormous personal strength. He had to judiciously choose problems and materials that were modern, and yet at the same time be accessible so that “even a high school student” could reproduce them, anywhere in the world.2 A simple solution to any complex contemporary problem necessitates deep insight, and C.N.R.’s perspicacity converted obstacles into opportunities, enabling him to tackle problems in unique ways. He persisted and succeeded, all the while overcoming an obvious disadvantage due to the lack of facilities, and what he himself described as professional loneliness. In those early days, long distance calling was an expensive luxury, and one could only sparingly pick up the phone to talk with friends around the world; international travel was even more expensive. Manuscripts were submitted after typing them by hand on mechanical typewriters and were then sent by sea mail or, if the institute could afford the cost, by airmail. In fact, on one occasion the institute at which C.N.R. was working could not provide financial support to mail a draft of book that he had written. Revised manuscripts needed to be again returned by mail, and receipt of a decision letter would take months, and sometimes years. In addition, sample exchanges for analysis were difficult and, of course, needed to be done by mail, thus hindering collaborative research. A turning point in C.N.R.’s career came in 1963 when he joined the Chemistry Department of the Indian Institute of Technology being established in Kanpur (IITK). While this move provided a much larger and expansive stage for C.N.R. to expand his research, he had to start his research career at IITK literally from scratch. There were no facilities of any kind, and even the city of Kanpur was not particularly modern at the time. He was appointed as Head of the Chemistry Department and developed and shaped it in a manner that was unprecedented in India. The strength of the Chemistry Department at IITK today can be traced to C.N.R.’s hand from these humble beginnings. In 1976, C.N.R. returned to the IISc, becoming Director in 1984, one of the most powerful scientific positions in India. While C.N.R. continued to engage in research during this time, he shouldered a heavy administrative burden. While Director of the IISc, he also
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t is our immense pleasure to celebrate the 80th birthday of Professor C.N.R. Rao, one of the foremost chemists in the history of materials chemistry. This single person has had a profound influence on so many different areas of materials chemistry, and the trifecta of creative science, high standards, and diversity of interests has been the hallmark of Professor C.N.R. Rao’s research career. Throughout his scientific journey, he has been consistently prolific and productive, in spite of the limited resources and trying conditions faced during much of his career. C.N.R. has published over 1500 publications and 45 books and has a Hirsch index (h-index) of 105 and over 50,000 citations.1 He has launched the careers of 140 Ph.D. graduates, who are now working in universities, industries and government laboratories around the world. Chemistry of Materials would like to salute this eminent scientist and dux ducis of exceptional abilities on his 80th year. Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra RaoC.N.R. to many of his colleagues, Ram to some of his close friends, and Prof. Rao or simply Professor to his many studentswas born in Bangalore in the house of his maternal grandparents on June 30, 1934. C.N.R. received his early education in Bangalore, graduating with a B.Sc. at age 17, which was followed soon after with a M.Sc. based upon research from Banaras Hindu University and a Ph.D. from Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana. He completed his Ph.D. in 2 years and 9 months, becoming Dr. C. N. R. Rao at age 24. Defying advice from friends and his senior colleagues to stay in the US, C.N.R. returned to India and started his independent career as a researcher at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, © 2014 American Chemical Society
Published: June 24, 2014 3593
dx.doi.org/10.1021/cm501763w | Chem. Mater. 2014, 26, 3593−3594
Chemistry of Materials
Editorial
founded the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in 1989. In 1994, he then went back to research full time and is now the Linus Pauling Research Professor at JNCASR. C.N.R.’s research interests have included the spectroscopy of materials, solid state chemistry, superconductivity, giant magnetoresistance, synthetic nanoscience, two-dimensional materials, and now, materials for energy and environmental applications, among many others. In particular, he has been a leader in the development of oxide-based materials for a range of applications and, more recently, the chemistry of carbonbased materials and related inorganic analogues. C.N.R. has been awarded a staggeringly long list of awards and fellowships from Indian and foreign academies and agencies, as well as several unique prizes. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) and many other international academies and is a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). He has been awarded a plethora of honorary doctorates (honoris casa) from international universities and, most recently, received the highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna (translated as the “Crown Jewel of India”), from the Indian Government. His is a fascinating story, and we once again salute this leading materials chemist for all his achievements and his rich and expansive contributions, and we wholeheartedly wish him continued success in the future.
Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
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Jillian M. Buriak, Editor-in-Chief AUTHOR INFORMATION
Notes
Views expressed in this editorial are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the ACS.
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REFERENCES
(1) Web of Science, May 15, using author search term “Rao, CNR”. Self-citations excluded. (2) Rao, C.N.R. Climbing the Limitless Ladder: A Life in Chemistry; IISC Press and World Scientific Publishing: Hackensack, NJ, 2010.
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dx.doi.org/10.1021/cm501763w | Chem. Mater. 2014, 26, 3593−3594
