Dr.Karunakaran Venugopal

Dr.Karunakaran Venugopal

Karunakaran Venugopal completed his Master of Science in Chemistry from D.G.Vaishanv College, University of Madras, Tamil Nadu in 1996. After he worked as a quality control chemist in Ms. Tetrahedron public limited, Ambattur industrial estate, Chennai, on May 1998 he joined as a project assistant in National Center for Ultrafast Processes, University of Madras under supervision of Prof. P. Natarajan and Prof. P.Ramamurthy and continued for about five years until March 2003. April 2003 he moved to the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany, as a scientific co-worker to obtain his Ph.D degree in Physical Chemistry on January 2007 under the guidance of Prof. Nikolaus P. Ernsting and further continued there as a post doc until July 2007. Subsequently August 2007 he went to the Northeastern University, Boston, USA, for carrying out his postdoctoral research work under the supervision of Prof. Paul M. Champion and stayed until April 2011.Then May 2011 he came back to India and joined at NIIST with his DST-SERB fast track scheme.Currently He joined as a senior scientist at NIIST in the Photosciences and Photonics section, CSTD from March 2014. His current area of interest including femtosecond solvation dynamics, excited state dynamics of DNA bases, low frequency vibrational dynamics of heme proteins, ultrafast dynamics involved in dye sensitized solar cell and bulk hetero-junction, polymorphism, photo responsive materials and photophysical characterization of self-aggregated molecules. Technical expertizes are Femtosecond Pump/Super Continuum Probe Spectroscopy, Fluorescence Up-conversion, Femtosecond Vibrational Coherence Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, Time Correlated Single Photon Counting, Laser Flash Photolysis and Stopped Flow Technique.

Achievements & Awards

Awards

  • ISCB Young Scientist Award 2012 in chemical sciences
  • DST-SERB Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientist 2011 in chemical sciences
  • APS Dependent Child Care Award 2009 in division of chemical physics
Completed Projects as Principle Investigator

Projects

  • “Investigation of Ultrafast Dynamics of Chromophores Exhibiting Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence for OLEDs”
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Amount: 22.39 Lakhs
    Duration: May 2022 to April 2025
    Sponsoring Agency: DAE-BRNS, India
  • “Two Electrons by One Photon: Exploring the Singlet Fission Dynamics for Photovoltaic Applications (SF)”
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Amount: 32.30 Lakhs
    Duration: August 2021 to July 2023
    Sponsoring Agency: CSIR, India
    Theme: FBR, Energy and Energy Devices
  • “Novel Strategies for the Generation of Long-Lived Photoinduced Charge Separated States in Donor-Acceptor Systems”
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator
    Amount: 34.23 Lakhs
    Duration: February 2020 to January 2023
    Sponsoring Agency: CRG-SERB, DST, India
  • “Revealing the Interaction Mechanism of the Protein with Lipids in the Apoptosis Process: Electronic, Vibrational and Conformational Relaxation Dynamics of the Heme in the Liposomes”
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Amount: 59.63 Lakhs
    Duration: April 2018 to March 2022
    Sponsoring Agency: DBT, India
  • “Ultrafast Electron Transfer Dynamics and Anti-Proliferative Activity of Hybrid Transition Metal Nitrosyl Complexes”
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Amount: 6.70 Lakhs
    Duration: November 2018 to November 2021
    Sponsoring Agency: India-Austria Exchange Programme (DST -BMWFW), India
    Austrian Collaborator: Prof. Vladimir B. Arion, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  • “Large Area Opto-Electronics for Australia and India: From Materials to Advanced Devices”
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator
    Amount: 73.10 Lakhs
    Duration: April 2018 to March 2021
    Sponsoring Agency: Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (DST- AISRF), India
    Australian Collaborator: Prof. Ebinazar B. Namdas, University of Queensland, Australia.
  • “Investigation of Ultrafast Dynamics of Chromophores Involved in Singlet Exciton Fission Processes Towards Solar Cell Applications”
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Amount: 53.00 Lakhs
    Duration: December 2015 to November 2018
    Sponsoring Agency: SERB-DST (EMRF), India
  • “Charge Carrier Transport in Polymeric and Organic Semiconducting Thin Films for Application in Light Emitting Diodes, Field-effect Transistors and Photovoltaic Devices”
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator
    Amount: 24.00 Lakhs
    Duration: November 2015 to October 2018
    Sponsoring Agency: RFBR-DST, India
  • “Investigation of Conformational Sub-states and Low Frequency Vibrational Dynamics of Native and Non-native Heme Proteins”
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Amount: 25.80 Lakhs
    Duration: July 2011 to June 2014
    Sponsoring Agency: SERC-DST (Fast Track Scheme), India
Publications
  • G. M. Somashekharappa, M. Paul, C. Govind, R. Mathew, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Intermolecular Interaction Dynamics between NIR-Absorbing Unsymmetrical Squaraines and PCBM: Effect of Halogen Substitution”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2022, 126, 4509-4519.
  • A. Shukla, V. T. N. Mai, V. V. Divya, S. Cherumuttathu*, M. Paul, V. Karunakaran, S. K. M. McGregor, I. Allison, N. Unni, A. Ajayaghosh, E. B. Namdas*, S.-C. Lo*, “Amplified Spontaneous Emission from Zwitterionic Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer”, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 30, 13499-13510.
  • S. Paul, V. Karunakaran*, “Excimer Formation Inhibits the Intramolecular Singlet Fission Dynamics: Systematic Tilting of Pentacene Dimers by Linking Positions”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2022, 126, 1054-1062.
  • R. Sawada, T. Maeda,* Y. Oda, S. Yagi, V. Karunakaran, H. Fujiwara, A. Ajayaghosh*, “Synthesis, Photophysical and Electrochemical Properties of Bis-Squaraine Dyes Fused on Isomeric Benzodipyrrole Central Units”, Chem. Asian J., 2022, 17, e202200227.
  • S. K. M. McGregor, C. Govind, M. K. R. Wood, A. Shukla, H. Lim, R. J. Lepage, E. H. Krenske, N. Unni, A. Ajayaghosh, V. Karunakaran*, E. B. Namdas*, S.-C. Lo*, “Structural Integration of Carbazole and Tetraphenylethylene: Ultrafast Excited-State Relaxation Dynamics and Efficient Electroluminescence”, Adv. Photo. Res., 2021, 2000144.
  • S. Paul, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran*, “Planarity and Length of the Bridge Control Rate and Efficiency of Intramolecular Singlet Fission in Pentacene Dimers”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2021, 125, 231-239.
  • G. M. Somashekharappa, C. Govind, K. P. Vijith, M. Paul, M. A. G. Namboothiry*, S. Das*, V. Karunakaran*, “Unsymmetrical Squaraine Dye-Based Organic Photodetector Exhibiting Enhanced Near Infrared Sensitivity”, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2020, 124, 21730-21739.
  • C. Govind, M. Paul, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Heme Relaxation Dynamics Probing the Unfolded States of Cytochrome c Induced by Liposomes: Effect of Charge of Phospholipids”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2020, 124, 2769-2777.
  • A. Raman, A. U. Neelambra, V. Karunakaran, S. Easwaramoorthi*, “Non-Photoisomerizable Butterfly Shaped Tetrasubstituted Azobenzenes: Synthesis and Photophysical Studies, New. J. Chem., 2020, 44, 8818-8822.
  • A. U. Neelambra, C. Govind, T.T. Devassia, G. M. Somashekharappa, V. Karunakaran*, “Direct Evidence of Solvent Polarity Governing the Intramolecular Charge and Energy Transfer: Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of Push-Pull Fluorene Derivative”, Phys.Chem.Chem.Phys., 2019,21, 11087-11102.
  • K. Mahato, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran, S. Nandy, C. Sudakar, E. Prasad*, “Enhanced Charge Transport and Excited State Charge Transfer Dynamics in a Colloidal Mixture of CdTe and Graphene Quantum Dots”, J. Phys. Chem. C., 2019, doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b02708.
  • I. Allison, H. Lim, A. Shukla, V. Ahmad, M. Hasan, K.Deshmukh, R. Wawrzinek, S. K. M. McGregor, J. K. Clegg,V. V. Divya, C. Govind, C. H. Suresh, V. Karunakaran, N. Unni, A. Ajayaghosh, E. B. Namdas*, S.-C. Lo*, “Solution Processable Deep-Red Phosphorescent Pt(II) Complex: Direct Conversion from Its Pt(IV) Species via a Base Promoted Reduction”, ACS Appl. Electron. Mater., 2019,1, 1304-1313.
  • G. Augustine, s. S. Raghavan, K. NumbiRamudu, S. Easwaramoorthi, G. Shanmugam, J. S. Murugaiyan, K. Gunasekaran, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran, N. Ayyadurai*, “Excited State Electronic Interconversion and Structural Transformation of Engineered Red Emitting Green Fluorescent Protein Mutant”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2019, 123, 2316-2324.
  • E. Orlowska, M. Babak, O. Dömötör, E. A. Enyedy, P. Rapta, M. Zalibera, L. Bu?inský, M. Mal?ek, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran, D. Luneau, D. Schaniel, W. H. Ang, V. B. Arion*,“NO releasing and anticancer properties of octahedral ruthenium-nitrosyl complexes with equatorial 1H-indazole ligands”, Inorg. Chem., 2018,57, 10702-10717.
  • A. Krishna, E. Varathan, P. Sreedevi, V. Subramanian,V. Karunakaran, R.L. Varma*, “Design, synthesis and photophysical investigation of triphenylaminebithiophene dyes as RGB emitters for white light applications”, Dyes and Pigments., 2018, 159, 77–84.
  • C. Govind, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of Photoexcited Heme Model Compounds: Observation of Multiple Electronic Spin States and Vibrational Cooling”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2017, 121, 3111-3120.
  • V. Karunakaran*, S. Das, “Direct Observation of Cascade of Photoinduced Ultrafast Intramolecular Charge Transfer Dynamics in Diphenyl Acetylene Derivatives: Via Solvation and Intramolecular Relaxation”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2016, 120, 7016–7023.
  • A. Sandeep,V. K. Praveen,K. K. Kartha,V. Karunakaran,A. Ajayaghosh, “Supercoiled fibres of self-sorted donor-acceptor stacks: aturn-off/turn-on platform for sensing volatile aromaticcompounds”,Chem. Sci., 2016,7, 4460-4467.
  • P. Suyana, K. R. Sneha, B. N. Nair,V. Karunakaran,A. P. Mohamed, K. G. K. Warrier, U. S. Hareesh,“C3N4- ZnS Composite Interfaces as Heterojunctions for Sun Light Induced Multifunctional Photocatalytic Applications”, RSC Adv. 2016, 6, 17800-17809.
  • V. Karunakaran*,“Ultrafast Heme Dynamics of Ferric Cytochrome c in Different Environments: Electronic, Vibrational and Conformational Relaxation”,Chem. Phys. Chem., 2015,16, 3974–3983.
  • V. Karunakaran*, D. Prabhu, S. Das, S. Varughese, “Transformation of Photophysical Properties From Solution to Solid State in Alkoxy-Cyano-Diphenylacetylene Molecules”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, 17, 18768-18779.
  • N. Narayanan, K. Varsha, W. Paul, K. Venugopal, K. Sujathan, K. K. Maiti, “Aggregation induced Raman scattering of squaraine dye: Implementation in diagnosis of cervical cancer dysplasia by SERS imaging”, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2015,70,145-152.
  • V. Karunakaran, Y. Sun, A.Benabbas,P. M. Champion, “Investigations of the Low Frequency Modes of Ferric Cytochrome C Using Vibrational Coherence Spectroscopy”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2014, 118, 6062–6070.
  • V. S. Nair, Y. Pareek, V. Karunakaran*, M. Ravikanth, A. Ajayaghosh, “Supramolecular Complexes Consisting of Multiple Photosynthetic Reaction Centers- Cyclotriphosphazene Appended Porphyrins and Fulleropyrrolidine Dyads: Steady and Excited State Photophysical Investigation”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys, 2014 ,16, 10149-10156.
  • V. Karunakaran*, D. Prabu, S. Das, “Optical Investigation of Self-Aggregation of a Tetrazole Substituted Diphenylacetylene Derivative: Steady and Excited State Dynamics in Solid and Solution State”, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2013, 117, 9404-9415.
  • Y. Sun, V. Karunakaran, P. M. Champion, “Investigations of the Low Frequency Spectral Density of Cytochrome C Upon Equilibrium Unfolding”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2013, 117, 9615–9625.
  • A. Benabbas, V. Karunakaran, H. Youn, T. L. Poulos, P. M. Champion, “Effect of DNA binding on geminate CO recombination kinetics in the CO-sensing transcription factor, CooA”, J. Biol. Chem. 2012, 287, 21729-21740.
  • V. Karunakaran, A. Benabbas, H. Youn, P. M. Champion, “Vibrational Coherence Spectroscopy of the Heme Domain in the CO-Sensing Transcriptional Activator CooA”, J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2011, 133, 18816-18827.
  • V.  Karunakaran, I. Denisov, S. G. Sligar, P. M. Champion, “Investigation of the low frequency dynamics of heme proteins:  Native and mutant cytochromes P450cam and redox partner complexes”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2011,115, 5665-5677.
  • V.  Karunakaran, A. Benabbas, Y. Sun, Z. Zhang, S. Singh, R. Banerjee, P. M. Champion, “Investigations of low frequency vibrational dynamics and ligand binding kinetics of Cystathionineb-synthase”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2010, 114, 3294-3306.
  • V. Karunakaran, K. Kleinermanns, R. Improta, S. A. Kovalenko,“Photoinduced dynamics of Guanosine monophosphate in water from broad-band transient absorption spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations”, J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2009, 131, 5839-5850.
  • V. Karunakaran, M. Pfaffe, I. Ioffe, T. Senyushkina, S. A. Kovalenko, R. Mahrwald, V. Fartzdinov, H. Sklenar, N. P. Ernsting, “Solvation oscillations and excited-state dynamics of 2-amino- and 2-hydroxy-7-nitro-fluorene and its 2´-deoxy-riboside”, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2008,112, 4294-4307.
  • D. Löwenich, K. Kleinermanns, V. Karunakaran, S. Kovalenko, “ Transient and Stationary Spectroscopy of Cytochrome c: Ultrafast Internal conversion Controls Photoreduction”, Photochem. Photobiol. 2008 , 84, 193-201.
  • V. Karunakaran, T. Senyushkina, G. Saroja, J. Liebscher, N. P. Ernsting,“2-Amino-7-Nitro-Fluorenes in neat and mixed solvents- Optical band shapes and solvatochromism”, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2007,111, 10944-10952.
  • M. Ostermeier, C. Limberg, B. Ziemer, V. Karunakaran “Solvent dependent oxidation of a (pyridylmethyl)amino ligand by FeCl3 to give a water-soluble blue fluorophore”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 5329-5331.
  • V. Karunakaran, J. L. P. Lustres, L. Zhao, N. P. Ernsting, O. Seitz, “Large dynamic Stokes shift of DNA intercalation dye Thiazole Orange has contribution from a high-frequency mode” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 2954-2962.
  • V. A. Galievsky, S. I. Druzhinin, A. Demeter, Y.-B. Jiang, S. A. Kovalenko, L. P. Lustres, K. Venugopal, N. P. Ernsting, X. Allonas, M. Noltemeyer, R. Machinek, K. A. Zachariasse, “Ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer and internal conversion with tetrafluoroaminobenzonitriles”, Chem. Phys. Chem, 2005, 6, 2307-2323.
  • V. Raghukumar, D. Thirumalai, V. T. Ramakrishnan, V. Karunakaran, P. Ramamurthy, “Synthesis of nicotinonitrile derivatives as a new class of NLO materials”, Tetrahedron 2003, 59, 3761–3768.
  • V. Karunakaran, P. Ramamurthy, T. Josephrajan, V. T. Ramamkrishnan, “Solvent effects and photophysical studies of a new class of Acridine(1,8)dione dyes”, Spectrochim. Acta Part A: Chemistry 2002, 58, 1443–1451.
Academic Qualification

Academic :

  • 2003 – 2007: Ph. D(Magna Cum Laude) in Physical Chemistry, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
    Thesis title: “Femtosecond Solvation, Excited State Dynamics and Photophysical Properties of Chromophores Used in Polynucleic Acids” under the guidance of Prof. Nikolaus P.Ernsting.
  • 1994 – 1996: M. Sc. in Chemistry, D. G. Vaishnav College, University of Madras, Chennai, India.
  • 1991 – 1994: B. Sc. in Chemistry, D. G. Vaishnav College, University of Madras, Chennai, India

Technical :

  • 1997: Diploma in Chemical Processes, Instrumentation and Control, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • 1998: Diploma in Quality Control Management & ISO 9000, National Institute of Industrial Research & Development, Chennai, India.
  • 2002: Diploma in Management, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India
Research Interest

Ultrafast Dynamics of Photofunctional Materials

  • Intramolecular Singlet Fission Dynamics
    • S. Paul, V. Karunakaran*, “Excimer Formation Inhibits the Intramolecular Singlet Fission Dynamics: Systematic Tilting of Pentacene Dimers by Linking Positions”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2022, 126, 1054–1062.RS-1
    • S. Paul, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran*, “Planarity and Length of the Bridge Control Rate and Efficiency of Intramolecular Singlet Fission in Pentacene Dimers”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2021, 125, 231–239.RS-2
  • Interaction Dynamics of NIR-Absorbing Unsymmetrical Squaraines with PCBM
    • G. M. Somashekharappa, M. Paul, C. Govind, R. Mathew, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Intermolecular Interaction Dynamics between NIR-Absorbing Unsymmetrical Squaraines and PCBM: Effect of Halogen Substitution”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2022, 126, 4509-4519.RS-3
    • G. M. Somashekharappa, C. Govind, K. P. Vijith, M. Paul,M. A. G. Namboothiry,*, S. Das*, V. Karunakaran*, “Unsymmetrical Squaraine Dye-Based Organic Photodetector Exhibiting Enhanced Near Infrared Sensitivity”, J. Phys. Chem. C., 2020, 124, 21730-21739.RS-4
  • Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of Heme Proteins 
    • C. Govind, M. Paul, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Heme Relaxation Dynamics Probing the Unfolded States of Cytochrome c Induced by Liposomes:  Effect of Charge of Phospholipids”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2020, 124, 2769-2777.RS-5
    • C. Govind, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of Photoexcited Heme Model Compounds: Observation of Multiple Electronic Spin States and Vibrational Cooling”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2017, 121, 3111-3120RS-6
    • V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Heme Dynamics of Ferric Cytochrome c in Different Environments: Electronic, Vibrational and Conformational Relaxation”, Chem. Phys. Chem., 2015, 16, 3974–3983.RS-7
  • Solvation and Intramolecular Relaxation Dynamics
    • V. Karunakaran*, S. Das, “Direct Observation of Cascade of Photoinduced Ultrafast Intramolecular Charge Transfer Dynamics in Diphenyl Acetylene Derivatives: Via Solvation and Intramolecular Relaxation”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2016, 120, 7016-7023.RS-8