PUNE: Eminent scientist and former HOD of organic synthesis department at the CSIR-NCL, Srinivasachari Rajappa, passed away in Pune on Sunday, the National Chemical Laboratory informed in an official statement today. He was 88.
Rajappa obtained his PhD degree in chemistry from Madras University in 1958. After a short stint as a lecturer at IIT Madras, he undertook postdoctoral research at Florida State University and then at Harvard University with RB Woodward. He then worked with CIBA Research Centre in Mumbai.
In 1987, he moved to the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory in Pune as the head of division of Organic Synthesis, a post he continued to hold till retirement in 1994; he served as emeritus scientist for another five years.
Rajappa contributed significantly as a synthetic organic chemist. His major contributions include the synthesis of cyclodipeptide monoimino ethers, a novel synthesis of thiophenes and thiazoles, synthesis and structural studies on push-pull systems, especially nitroenamines, the discovery of a versatile synthesis of nitroacetamides and the elusive nitrothioacetamides from nitroenamines, new synthetic strategies for carbamates and thiocarbamates, including a viable non-MIC route to carbamate pesticides, and the first demonstration of the existence of non-bonded attractive interactions involving sulphur in solution phase.
“Rajappa was deeply concerned about the continuing environmental degradation, which led him to give seminars to industrial R&D groups on modern developments in catalysis to bring about the exact chemical transformations with greater efficiency and less pollution. He addressed students at the graduate and postgraduate levels on ethics in science,” CSIT-NCL said in its statement.
{{/usCountry}}“Rajappa was deeply concerned about the continuing environmental degradation, which led him to give seminars to industrial R&D groups on modern developments in catalysis to bring about the exact chemical transformations with greater efficiency and less pollution. He addressed students at the graduate and postgraduate levels on ethics in science,” CSIT-NCL said in its statement.
{{/usCountry}}The octogenarian was conferred with the KG Naik Gold Medal by MS University of Baroda, and Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chemical Research Society of India. He was also elected as a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy in New Delhi. Rajappa even published 85 research papers in international peer-reviewed journals.