Name: Prof. S. Nagarajan Designation: Professor Phone: 9443046272 Email:snagarajan@cutn.ac.in
Biographic Sketch:
Prof. S. Nagarajan’s association with the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN) began in 2012, when he became the very first faculty member of the Department of Chemistry. As the founding Head of the Department (2013–2019), he played a pivotal role in shaping its academic and research vision from the ground up. His leadership journey within the University has been equally distinguished—he has served as Dean of the School of Basic and Applied Sciences (2016–2021), Dean of Students’ Welfare (2017–2021), Controller of Examinations (i/c) (2021–2023), Head, Department of Chemistry (2022-2025) and currently holds the key portfolio of Dean of Academics at CUTN.
Prof. Nagarajan’s academic foundation is rooted in Tamil Nadu, beginning with a BSc in Chemistry from Pioneer Kumaraswamy College, Nagercoil, followed by an MSc in Organic Chemistry and a PhD from Annamalai University. He later joined Annamalai University as a faculty member, marking the start of an accomplished academic career.
His expertise and commitment to research earned him global recognition through prestigious international assignments, including a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Nanoscience Group of CEMES-CNRS in Toulouse, France, and a Guest Researcher position at the International Center for Materials Nano-architectonics (MANA) at NIMS in Tsukuba, Japan.
Prof. Nagarajan has been honored with several notable distinctions, such as the BOYSCAST Fellowship from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, the Young Scientist Fellowship from the Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, and the CSIR Research Fellowship, New Delhi. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), Fellow of the Indian Chemical Society, and Fellow of the Academy of Sciences, Chennai, reflecting his stature in the scientific community.
He has supervised 16 PhD scholars, 22 MPhil researchers, and three Postdoctoral Fellows, contributing significantly to the next generation of scientific talent. His research productivity and leadership have attracted competitive funding from premier agencies, including ANRF, DST, CSIR, UGC, and industry partners, further establishing his reputation as a leading scientist and academic leader.
Research areas:
Organic Synthesis & Organic Electronic Materials.
Research Highlights :
Organic Synthesis & Organic Electronics
Organic Electronics represents a rapidly advancing interdisciplinary domain that explores electronic and optoelectronic technologies based on organic semiconductors, as opposed to conventional inorganic materials. Owing to their unique π-conjugated architectures, organic semiconductors offer tunable electronic, optical, and structural properties. This tunability, combined with low-temperature and solution-processable fabrication methods, positions organic electronics as a transformative platform capable of addressing several grand challenges of modern society.
The field promises low-cost, lightweight, flexible, and wearable devices, in addition to energy-efficient lighting technologies, high-performance resistive memory devices, chemical and biological sensors, and next-generation information-storage components. The vast structural diversity accessible through synthetic organic chemistry further enables the rational design of molecules with tailored frontier molecular orbitals, enhanced charge-transport capabilities, and improved environmental stability—making organic semiconductors a compelling technology for future sustainable electronics.
Our research group is engaged in the design and development of π-conjugated organic materials for electronic applications, with a particular emphasis on establishing clear structure–property–performance relationships. To achieve this, our work integrates:
Molecular design and multistep organic synthesis of π-conjugated donor–acceptor systems
Comprehensive physico-chemical and spectroscopic characterization
Photophysical and electrochemical investigations to probe excited-state dynamics and charge-transfer behavior
Computational modeling to gain insights into molecular geometry, electronic structure, and charge-transport pathways
Device fabrication and performance evaluation, including memory devices and optoelectronic platforms
Through this integrated experimental and computational approach, our group aims to make significant contributions to the advancement of organic electronics and to the development of efficient, scalable, and sustainable molecular electronic devices for next-generation information processing technologies.
Recent Publications :
Megha, V.P.; Akshaya, M.; Imran, P. M.; Nagarajan, S., Design and synthesis of triphenylamine-based donor-acceptor systems with modulated acceptor strength for enhanced resistive WORM memory device applications.Tetrahedron,2026,189, 135004.
Lenka,S.K.;Anjali,A.;Ardra, M.;Nagarajan,S.,Fluorescence quenching and aggregation-induced emission behaviour of Ester-Flanked Quinolines, J. Lumin.2026, 289,121661.
Ardra,M.;Swetha,S.V.;Imran,P.M.;Nagarajan,S.,UnlockingthePotentialofFerrocene-Functionalised Donor-π-Acceptor Systems with Phthalimide/Naphthalimide Acceptors for Non-volatile Memory Devices, European J. Org. Chem. 2025,28 (42)e202500666.
Akshaya, M.; Gayathri, R.; Imran, P. M.; Nagarajan, S., Exploring Single Atom Substitution in Phenanthro [9,10-d] imidazole-based D–π–A Architectures with Fluorene and its Hetero analogs for Non- Volatile Resistive WORM Memory Device Applications.Chem.Eur.J,2025,31(12),2025,e202404337.
Muhsina,K.;Akshaya,M.;Imran,P.M.;Bhuvanesh.N.S.P.;Nagarajan,S.,InfluenceofTerminalElectron Acceptors on Anthracene‐Based D‐π‐A Systems for Enhanced Resistive WORM Memory Performance. Asian J. Org. Chem. 2025,14 (5), e202500045.
Komal, K.; Swetha, S.V.; Imran, P. M.; Nagarajan, S.,Synthesis of Methoxytriarylamine-Based Metalloporphyrins and their Influence on the Performance of OFETs, ChemistrySelect, 2025, 10 (33) e01476.
Gokul, R.; Gayathri, R.;Imran, P. M.;Bhuvanesh, N.S.P.; Nagarajan, S.,Exploring the potential of malononitrile functionalized donor–acceptor systems for non-volatile memory device applications, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.,2025,27, 129-137. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2024/CP/D4CP03313B
Akshaya, M.; Harshini, D.; Gayathri, R.; Imran, P. M.; Nagarajan, S., Asymmetrically Functionalized Phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole-Based Donor–Acceptor Architectures for High-Performance Ternary Memory Devices. ACS Appl. Electron. Mater. 2024, 6, 10, 7522–7539. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsaelm.4c01363
Balambiga, B.; Devibala, P.; Imran, P. M.; Nagarajan, S., Tunable Charge Transport Using Heterocycles-Flanked Alkoxyphenanthrenes for High-Performing OFETs. ACS Omega2024, 9, 41, 42091–42102. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.4c01166
Gayathri, R.; Akshaya, M.; Imran, P. M.; Nagarajan, S., Design of Triphenylamine-based D-π-A Systems for Efficient Ternary WORM Memory Devices,Chem. Eur. J.2024, 30 (48), e202402015. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202402015
Swetha, S.V.; Gayathri, R.; Ardra, M.; Imran, P. M.; Nagarajan, S., Inherent D-A Architecture in Indoloquinoxalines with an Array of Substituents for Non-Volatile Memory Device Applications, ChemPhysChem., 2024, 25 (9)e202400003. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202400003
Ardra, M.; Gayathri, R.; Swetha, S.V.; Imran, P. M.; Nagarajan, S., Tweaking the Non–Volatile Write–Once–Read–Many–Times (WORM) Memory using Donor-Acceptor Architecture with Isatin as Core Acceptor, ChemPlusChem.,2024, 89(8), e202400018. https://doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202400018
