A Dream and Reality to Chemical Science in
India- Acharya Prafulla Chandra Rây
Gourisankar Roymahapatra,1 Ben Bin Xu,2 Zhanhu Guo2
and Chittaranjan Sinha3,*
1 Department of Applied Sciences, Haldia Institute of Technology, Haldia
721657, India
2 Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Faculty of
Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1
8ST, UK.
3 Department of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700 032, India.
*Email: crsjuchem@gmail.com (C. Sinha)
Acharya
Sir Prafulla Chandra Rậy, a member of Companion of the Indian Empire (CIE, the Most Eminent Order
of the Indian Empire founded by Queen Victoria), Founder
Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (FNI, Delhi
which is now renamed as FNA), Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of
Bengal (FRASB, Kolkata), Fellow of the
Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (FIAS, Kolkata), and Fellow of
the Chemical Society (FCS,
London), is a pathfinder and originator of
India's modern chemistry – teaching and research, chemical industry,
philanthropist, industrialist and educationist. He was born on August 2, 1861 in the
village Raruli, Khulna, (now in Bangladesh). He learned science by attending as
an external student, particularly chemistry from Prof. Alexander Peddler,
Presidency College (now Presidency University, Kolkata). It was the only
college, where science teaching started in pre-independent India. After
receiving Gilchrist Scholarship, he joined the Edinburgh University UK in 1882 and
received B. Sc. in Chemistry from Prof. Alexander Crum Brown in 1885 and D. Sc.
in 1887. His research thesis entitled, "Conjugated
Sulphates of the Copper-Magnesium Group: A Study of Isomorphous Mixtures and
Molecular Combinations" earned Hope Prize from the University.[1,2] The double sulfates known in his
times are a few only like Mohr’s salt (i.e., (NH4)2SO4,FeSO4·6H2O);
cyanochroite, K2SO4, CuSO4·6H2O.
Prafulla Chandra worked in the laboratory of organic chemist and the global
research tempted to physical chemistry at that time. He found out more space in
double-double sulphates, like Mm2SO4, MbSO4.
6H2O, Mm2SO4, Mb/SO4·6H2O
(where Mm refers to monovalent; Mb or Mb/ refers to the bivalent
metal ion).[3] However, the structure of such
salts was known much later, after the discovery of single crystal X-ray
diffraction measurements in early 1930’s and the present form only appeared
after 1960’s.[4] Rây
was elected as Vice-President of the University of Edinburgh Chemical Society
in 1888 and the President was Prof. Alexander Crum Brown.
¥The portrait is drawn by Mr. Bitihotra Roymahapatra, which is also been used in designing the
cover page of this special volume.
Chemical Research in India
He
returned India in 1888, joined the Presidency College in July 1889, and engaged
in teaching and research in Chemistry. His first research publication entitled,
“On the Chemical Examination of Certain
Indian Food Staffs, Part I, Fats & Oils” was published in 1894 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.[5] His brilliant discovery appeared in
the same journal in 1896 on mercurous nitrite (Hg2(NO2)2),
a compound consisting of Hg(I)-Hg(I) bond, the simplest example of two atom
metal cluster.[6] It
raised huge controversy related to the oxidation state (i.e., Hg(I)) and had
been settled by Prof. Animesh Chakravorty by preparing the compound following
the same procedure and determining its X-Ray structure.[7] The discovery of mercurous nitrite
was reported by Nature magazine
immediately after its publication and wrote “The Journal of the Asiatic Society Bengal can scarcely be said to have
a place in our chemical libraries; the current number, however, contains a
paper by Dr. P. C. Ray, of the Presidency College, Calcutta on Mercurous
Nitrite, that is worthy to note------”.[8]
The
preparation, stability and vapor density measurement of NH4NO2[9] and its demonstration in Royal
Society of Chemistry (RSC), London meeting earned congratulation from the Nobel
Laureate, Prof. William Ramsay. Nature
magazine published the news “..success in
preparing ammonium nitrite in a tangible form, a further accomplishment in
determining the vapour density of this very fugitive compound'.[10] During this time, Rây and his group
isolated different double nitrites of type 2MNO2· Hg(NO2)2
(two different metals M & Hg, form mixed nitrites); however, the
conductance and chemical characteristics of these compounds are believed to be
a complex type of M2[Hg(NO2)4].[11] A series of nitrito Hg(II) additive
compounds of ethylenediamine (en) was characterized by Rây by measuring the
conductance as 1:2 electrolyte, [Hg(en)2](NO2)2.[12] In 1912, his group published
sixteen research papers in three different journals of Royal Society of
Chemistry. He was rightly named the fame of ‘Master of Nitrites’ by
Professor W. E. Armstrong.[13]
Since
1916 onwards, Rây started to work on chemistry of thiols with mercury. He was
probably interested to explore Hg-S chemistry from its relevance in Ancient
Indian Culture where Makardhwaj
(mixture of Hg, Au, Ag, S) was used as medicine for the treatment of many
diseases.[14] Aliphatic
thiols (RSH) reacted with Na2[Hg(NO2)4] to
isolate compounds like Hg(RS)NO2. PCR worked on the reaction of
thiourea with Hg(II) salts and thione-thiol tautomerism was recommended. In
later period, the structures of the compounds in many cases were proved by
X-Ray diffraction measurements. Although the concept and realization of ionic
liquids appeared currently, however, Ray noticed this character long back in
1916 when he worked on mercury mercaptide nitrites and alkyl iodide. He
proposed composition [R2S·RI·HgI2] and the conductivity
measurement confirmed the ionic structure, which has been proven by X-Ray
structure as [Me3S][HgI3].[15,16] Ray contributed substantially to
the Au(I,III)-S chemistry. Au(III)-R2S chemistry, [AuCl3(R2S)],
and its reduced product [AuCl(R2S)] were credited the first time to
P. C. Rậy.[17]
In
coordination chemistry, he established the complexes of heavier transition series
like Hg, Au, Ir, Pt along with the chemistry of many metals, metalloids
including alkali and alkaline earth metals, Cu, Ag, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, P, As and
Sb. His research is collected in a book published in Kolkata.[18] In the early third decades of twentieth
century, Rây started to develop platinum group metal chemistry of sulfur
compounds. In 1923, with the reaction of Et2S with chloroplatinic
acid (H2PtCl6) in ethanol for two or three days, he
isolated yellow crystalline complex of composition [PtCl4(Et2S)2]
and also [PtCl2(Et2S)2]. He reported the
mixed-valent Pt(II,IV) (not trivalent) complex also. Both yellow and white
compounds [PtCl2(Et2S)2] were characterized as
cis and trans structure, respectively following Werner’s coordination
theory. PCR also examined the substitution reaction using bases like NH3,
EtNH2, pyridine (py) of [PtCl2(Et2S)2].[19,20]
Towards
the end of his research in the University College of Science, University of
Calcutta, Rây and his associates started to work on Ir and Rh chemistry of
thiolato compounds. They reacted IrIVCl4 with Et2S
in hot ethanol and isolated orange-yellow crystals of composition [IrCl3.3Et2S].
The reaction was so specific that could not be arrested by adding a strong
oxidizing agent like aqua regia. From different physicochemical measurements
and his chemical intuition, he concluded that it is a hexacoordinated compound
of type [IrCl3(Et2S)3], which can have two
geometrically isomeric forms, i.e., the facial
(abbreviated fac; also called cis) and meridional (mer) isomer,
which is also called the trans isomer.[21]
Fig. 1 Isomeric square planar, [PtCl2(Et2S)2],
and octahedral, [IrCl3.3Et2S], complexes.
Rây
also designed few reagents to carry out organic transformation. The use of
acidified H2S as thiolating agent was recommended for the first time
to synthesize thioketones and Ray reported in Nature the preparation of thiocamphor.[22] P. C. Rây reported the use of thallium fluoride (TlF) for preparing fluoroorganics
and also other fluorinating agents like AgF, ZnF2 for the
preparation of fluoroformateesters.[23,24]
His
broad areas of scientific research include (i) chemistry of nitrogen oxyacids
and their metal derivatives, (ii) organic nitro compounds and nitrates, (iii)
organic thio compounds and their metal derivatives, (iv) chemistry of platinum
group metals, (v) mercury alkyl/aryl compounds, (vi) fluorination of organic
compounds, (vii) isomorphism and chemical homology, and (viii) classical
physical chemistry like catalysis, thermal decomposition, measurement vapor
densities and ionic conductance. So, Acharya Rậy is all along a chemist,
who travelled all unknown paths of organic, inorganic, analytical and
pharmaceutical chemistry.
Fig. 2 Fluorinating
agent, TlF in C-H activation reaction and synthesis of organo-fluoro compounds.
Quanta of Research
In
India, Acharya P. C. Rây started the first model Research laboratory both in
academia (Presidency College & later Science College, Kolkata) and in
industry (Bengal Chemical & Pharmaceutical Works Ltd.). Among his more than
150 research publications, 8 publications appear in Nature magazine; and 86 articles appear in the journals of the
Royal Society. In the Journal of the
Indian Chemical Society (1924-1936), he published 37 research papers (he
was the founder and first President of the Indian Chemical Society started in
1924) and in German language, there are 11 publications. Out of 150
publications, there are 71 articles published as a single name (P. C. Rây);
two-author articles are 68. One can imagine how much intellectual and physical
labor he had invested against many odds to establish an experimental
laboratory. Along with purchasing chemicals and glass wares, he had invested
his own earnings, no financial support was given by British Raj to a person
whose laboratory was the centre of the Swadeshi
Movement! His brilliant research in the laboratory and inspiring class
demonstration attracted enthusiastic young men to join in the modern chemical
research, what he started in India.
In
his long and distinguished career as a research worker, he had evoked a true
spirit of scientific enquiry among his many disciples, which has resulted in
the creation of the flourishing school of chemistry who had shown their ability
not only in India but also in other parts of the world. He recognized the
first modern Indian research school in chemistry and was regarded as the
Father of Chemistry in India. The Indian Chemical Society, a premier Scientific
Society and the oldest such society in India, was founded on 9th May
1924, and Acharya Prafulla Chandra Rậy was the First President along with
his disciples J. N. Mukherjee, J.C. Ghosh and S.S. Bhatnagar. To begin with,
Indian Chemical Society started the publication of The Journal of the Indian
Chemical Society.[25]
Last Recognition: International
Chemical Landmark Plaque
The
International Year of Chemistry was celebrated in 2011 by the United Nations.
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC, UK) used this platform to honor his life
and work at his 150th Birth Anniversary by establishing an
International Chemical Landmark Plaque in the Presidency College (now
Presidency University, Kolkata), the place where the dream of research and
teaching in chemistry was blossomed.
Fig. 3 Photo Courtesy (own collection of
Prof. Chittaranjan Sinha).
This is the first ever landmark plaque,
which was placed outside Europe. The name of Acharya Rây was nominated as the
first Indian for Fellow of Royal Society on 16th December 1912 by
William A. Tilden, Herold Baily Dixon, Henry E. Roscoe, Victor H. Veley,
Alexander Crum Brown, Martin O. Forster, James Walker, Arthur W. Crossley,
William Henry Perkin, Hugo Müller, Thomas H. Holland, James E. Reynolds,
Herbert B. Baker, Percy F. Frankland, Alexander Pedler, William J. Pope and
Alexander Scott. However, for some reasons, it was not realised. Everybody
believed that an Author of “India: Before and After The Mutiny”, an essay
published by Rây in 1885 as a participant in Essay Competition of Edinburgh
University where he criticised the British imperialism and a Gandhian, could
not be successful.
Acknowledgements
Special
thanks to Mr. Bitihotra Roymahapatra, Student of
Class X, Vivekananda Mission School, Haldia Township, Haldia 721657, India, for
drawing the beautiful portrait of Acharya P. C. Rây, which is also been used in the
cover page of this special volume.
References
[1]
A.
Chakravorty, Glimpses of Acharya P. C.
Rây’s Work in Chemical Sciences,
Indian Chemical Society, Kolkata, 2019
[2] A. Chakravorty, The
doctoral research of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Rây, Indian Journal of History of Science,
2015, 50, doi:
10.16943/ijhs/2015/v50i4/48315.
[3] P. C. Rây, 2. on the
conjugated sulphates of the copper-magnesium group, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh,
1889, 15, 267-283, doi:
10.1017/s0370164600005502.
[4] H. Montgomery, E. C.
Lingafelter, The crystal structure of Tutton’s salts. I. Zinc ammonium sulfate
hexahydrate, Acta Crystallographica,
1964, 17, 1295-1299, doi:
10.1107/s0365110x64003231.
[5] P. C. Rây, On the
chemical examination of certain Indian food stuffs. Part-I, Fatts and Oils, Journal of the
Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1894, 1, 59-80.
[6] P. C. Rây, On
Mercurous Nitrite, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1896, 65, 1-9.
[7] S. Samanta, S,
Goswami and A. Chakravorty, On Mercurous Nitrite and a basic mercurous nitrate
derivative, Indian
Journal of Chemistry, 2011, 50A,
137 - 140.
[8] Review ‘Notes’, Nature, 1896, 54, 83.
[9] P. C. Rây, S. C.
Jânâ, CLXX.—The vapour density of ammonium nitrate, benzoate, and acetate, Journal of the
Chemical Society, Transactions, 1913, 103, 1565-1568, doi: 10.1039/ct9130301565.
[10] Review ‘Notes’, Nature, 1912, 89, 15 August.
[11] P. C. Rây, N. Dhar,
Equivalent conductivity and ionisation of nitrites, Journal of the Chemical Society, Transactions,
1913, 103, 10-18, doi:
10.1039/ct9130300010.
[12] P. C. Rây, J. N.
Rakshit, R. Lal Datta, Nitrites of the mercurialkyl- and
mercurialkylaryl-ammonium series, Journal of the Chemical Society, Transactions,
1912, 101, 616-620, doi:
10.1039/ct9120100616.
[13] R. Singh, Master of Nitrites: Acharya Prafulla Chandra
Ray, 25 September 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
[14] P. C. Rây, A History of Hindu Chemistry, 1902, Vol 1and 1908, Vol 2; Williams and Norgate, London.
[15] P. C. Rây, N.
Adhikary, J. Ind Complexes of Mercuric
Iodide with Alkyl Sulphonium Iodides,
Journal of Indian Chemical Society, 1930, 7, 297-303.
[16] R. H. Fenn, J. W. H. Oldham, D. C. Phillips, Crystal structure of
(CH3)3S.HgI3 and the configuration of the HgI3–ion, Nature,
1963, 198, 381-382, doi:
10.1038/198381a0.
[17] P. C. Rây, Varying
valency of Gold with respect to Mercaptanic radicals Part I, Journal of Indian
Chemical Society, 1924, 1,
63-73; P. C. Rây, K. C. B. Ray,Complex compound of Gold with Mercaptanic
Radicals. Part-II Residual affinity of Chloroauric Acid, 1928, 5, 527-533; P. C. Rây, D. C. Sen,
Studies on the Complexes of the Chlorides of Gold with organic Sulphides, 1930,
7, 67-77.
[18] A. Bhattacharya Ed.,
Research Papers of Acharya Prafulla
Chandra Rây, Deep Prakashan, Kolkata, 2006.
[19] P. C. Rây, Varying
valency of platinum with respect to mercaptanic radicles, Journal of the Chemical Society, Transactions,
1923, 123, 133-141, doi:
10.1039/ct9232300133.
[20] P. C. Rây, K. C. B.
Ray, Varying valency of Platinum with respect to mercaptanic radicals Part-II, Journal of Indian
Chemical Society, 1925, 2, 178-190; P. C. Rây, B. C. Guha, K.
C. B. Ray, Varying valency of Platinum with respect to mercaptanic radicals
Part-III, 1926, 3, 155-160 and P. C.
Rây, B. C. Guha, K. C. B. Ray, Varying valency of Platinum with respect to
mercaptanic radicals Part-IV. The inadequacy of Werner’s Theory to explain
certain anomalous cases, 1926, 3, 358-370; P. C. Rây, P. C. Mukherjee,
Actions of Bases on Complex Compounds derived from Organic Thiocompounds and
Platinum Chloride, Journal of Indian Chemical Society, 1929, 6, 885-891.
[21] P. C. Rây, N.
Adhikary, A. N. Ray, Complexes of Antimony Halides with Sulphonium Halides, Journal of Indian
Chemical Society, 1932, 9,
251-255; P. C. Rây, N. B. Adhikary, R. Ghosh, Complex Compounds of Iridium Part
II. Compounds of Organic Sulphides and Pyridine, Journal of Indian Chemical Society,
1933, 10, 275-279.
[22] P. C. Rây, Synthesis
of thiocamphor and other cyclic thioketones, Nature, 1934, 134, 1010, doi: 10.1038/1341010a0.
[23] P. C. Rây, P. B. Sarkar,
A. Rây, Fluorination of organic compounds: monofluoracetone, Nature,
1933, 132, 749-750, doi:
10.1038/132749b0.
[24] P. C. Rây, H. C.
Goswami, A. C. Roy, On the Fluorination of Organic Compounds Part I, Journal of Indian
Chemical Society, 1935, 12,
93-95; P. C. Rây, A. C. Roy, On the Fluorination of Organic Compounds Part II, Journal of Indian
Chemical Society, 1936, 13.
427-428.
[25]
http://indianchemicalsociety.com/userpanel/about-us.aspx
About the Guest editors:
Dr. Chittaranjan Sinha M. Sc., Ph. D., Professor & Former Head, Department
of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, Kolkata-700 032, India is working on the
design of chemosensors and detection of ions/molecules. Environmentally
important ions/molecules like Zn2+, Al3+, Cr3+,
Cu2+, Pd2+, Phosphates, F-, CN-,
ATP, Cytosine etc. are analyzed at nM concentration by using
spectrofluorometric techniques. His research encompasses photochromism,
electrochemistry, Coordination Polymers/Metal Organic Frameworks,
functionalization and exploration of known antibiotics (sulfonamides) etc. So
far, he has published 470+ internationally cited articles with 8250 citations.
More than 15 Book Chapters are also published by Prof. Sinha. Dr. Sinha
participated more than 150 national and international chemical; science
conferences/seminars/workshops. His name is enlisted in top 2% scientists of
the world in the list prepared by Stanford University and Elsevier on 2020,
2021, 2022 and 2023. Dr. Sinha received
International Lecturer Award from Padova University, Italy in 2011. He was
awarded Best Chemistry Teacher in Post-Graduate level by Tata Chemicals in
Association with Association of Chemistry Teachers and Confederation of Indian
Industries in 2012. Prof. Sinha was also awarded William Ramsay Distinguished
Researcher Award 2022 in Inorganic Chemistry by International Multidisciplinary
Research Foundation (IMRF), Institute of Higher Education and Research. He is
Elected Fellow of West Bengal Academy of Science & Technology (FAScT) since
2018. He served as Secretary of World Science Congress and arranged Student’s
competition and State level and National/International conferences. He is a
life-time Fellow of Indian Chemical Society (FICS) and served the society as
Hon. Secretary for two terms (2017-19 and 2020-22). Indian Chemical Society is
the oldest Chemical Society in India established by Father of Indian Chemistry,
Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray in 1924.
Prof. Sinha has supervised 52 Ph. D. Scholars; more than 70 Master’s
Thesis and conducted 21 Govt. Research Projects. He served as Editor (Inorganic
Chemistry Section) of the Journal of the Indian Chemical Society published by
the Indian Chemical Society; currently Senior Editor of Current Organocatalysis
and Current Microwave Chemistry published by Bentham Science Publishers. He is
also engaged in the science popularization, support to financially challenging
meritorious students for higher studies and has conducted a school (up to
VIIIth Standard) blessed by Ramakrishna Mission at his native place. For his
outstanding research contribution in the field of Metal Organic Framework
(MOF), he has been admitted as a Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry
(FRSC) in August 2023.
Dr. Gourisankar
Roymahapatra, currently working as an Associate Professor of
Chemistry at the School of Applied Science and Humanities, HIT Haldia, India,
is a passionate researcher of chemistry. He completed his Ph.D. from Jadavpur
University, Kolkata (2014) with N-Heterocyclic Carbene Chemistry as a major
field under the mentoring of Dr. Joydev Dinda of HIT Haldia, and Prof. Ambikesh
Mahapatra of Jadavpur University. Dr. Roymahapatra graduated (BSc) from
Midnapore College (2000), did MSc in Physical Chemistry (2003), and in Organic
Chemistry (2005), from DAV PG College, Kanpur, India. Before joining to
academia, he worked at MCC PTA Chem. Corp. Pvt. Ltd India (MCPI), Haldia, (2003
~ 2011) as a Senior Chemist. He worked at the Global Institute of Science and
Technology (GIST Haldia), as a Lecturer in Chemistry in the year 2011 and then
he moved to HIT Haldia in 2015 as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. His area
of research interest includes NHC complexes, organometallics, catalysis,
antibiotics, anti-carcinogenic, gas adsorption, super alkali, and computational
chemistry. Dr. Roymahaptra received
‘NCQC-2007 Per-Excellent Award’ and ‘CCQC-2010 Gold Award’ for his contribution
in Quality Control during his tenure at MCPI Haldia. For his contribution in research, he got the
‘Distinguished Young Scientist Award in Chemistry -2014’ from the ‘World
Science Congress’, India; the prestigious ‘Bharat Gaurabh Award – 2018’ from
IISF, India; and the ‘Indian Chemical Society Research Excellent Award 2021’
from the Indian Chemical Society, ‘Best Researcher Award’, from the Research
Education Solution, Noida, India. Dr. Roymahapatra is a Life Fellow of the
Indian Chemical Society (FICS), and a Life Fellow of the Institutes of Chemistry
(India) (FIC), Life Fellow of Renewable Energy Society of India (FRESI) He is
the Vice-president of Haldia Vigyan Parishad (HVP) from 2018-2020, and
2021-2023. Dr.Roymahaptra is the editor of ‘Education in Chemical Science and
Technology, and ‘Chemical Warta’ published by the Indian Chemical Society, ES
Energy and Environment published by ES Publisher, USA. Dr. Roymahapatra is the
editorial board member and reviewer of several national and international
journals. He was the Guest Editor of “Prof. D. C. Mukherjee Special Issue”, J.
Indian Chem. Soc. Vol 98, Issue 5, 2021; and also the Guest Editor of “Padma
Shri Prof. G. D. Yadav 70th Birthday Special Issue”, J. Indian Chem.
Soc. (in press).
Dr. Zhanhu Guo earned his Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering
from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2005. He received three-year
postdoctoral training in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University
of California Los Angeles (UCLA). He is a Professor of Mechanical &
Construction Engineering at Northumbria University Newcastle, UK. Professor Guo
is a life-time Fellow of Indian Chemical Society (FICS, India), a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, UK), a Fellow of Engineered Science Society
(FESS, USA), and a Fellow of Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining
(FIMMM). His current research interests are in the areas of multifunctional
nanocomposites research and education.
Dr. Ben B
Xu is a full professor in materials and mechanics with a
multi-disciplinary research interest covering soft matter, smart surface,
functional materials, energy materials, applied mechanics, micro-engineering,
flexible/wearable electronics, sustainable engineering and technologies. Ben
obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Heriot-watt University (Scotland)
in 2011 and subsequently worked as a postdoc researcher at University of
Massachusetts Amherst (2011-2013). Ben
is a vice chair for division of 'composites' in AICHE (US) and chairing the
Materials Characterisation & Properties Group in the Institute of
Materials, Mining and Minerals (IoM3). He has published 7 patents, 9 book
(incl. chapters) and over 200 peer-reviewed articles in the leading journals,
including Sci. Adv., Nat. Commun., Adv.
Mater., Adv. Energy. Mater., Adv. Fun. Mater., Energy. Environ. Sci., Nano
Energy, Small, Phys. Rev. Lett., etc (h-index 41). Ben has been invited to give
100+ invited/plenary talks in international conferences/leading institutions,
chaired 30+ international events and reviewed paper publications for 100+
journals, and won multiple awards (2016 Young investigator award from the International
Polymer Networks Group, etc.). Ben is also an associate editor for Advanced
Composites and Hybrid Materials (SpringerNature), EcoMat (Wiley) and Advanced
Devices and Instrument (AAAS). He is a
named expert in COVID-19 action database acknowledged by UK Parliament, with
his work of ‘Masks for COVID-19’ archived in the WHO Covid-19 literature
database. Ben is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC),
Fellow of the Indian Chemical Society (FICS), Fellow of the Institute of Materials,
Mining and Minerals (FIMMM), Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement
of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA), a chartered scientist and a
chartered engineer.