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N. V. Venkatraman

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Dr. N. V. Venkatraman is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Mahindra University’s École Centrale School of Engineering, associated with the institution since its inception (earlier Mahindra École Centrale) and previously a long‑term researcher at the Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich. He holds a Ph.D. in Inorganic and Physical Chemistry from IISc Bangalore (award‑winning best thesis), an M.Sc. in Physical Chemistry from IIT Bombay, and a B.Sc. from the University of Madras, and his research focuses on surfaces and interfaces, surface modification, micro/nanopatterning, self‑assembled monolayers, and surface spectroscopy for tribological and crystallization applications, with numerous publications in high‑impact journals.

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N. V. Venkatraman

Associate Professor

Dr. Venkataraman has been associated with Mahindra university since its inception and its formative years at Mahindra Ecole centrale (MU) since 2014. Prior to joining MU, he has several years of post-doctoral research experience at the Laboratory for surface science and technology, Department of materials (D-MATL), Swiss federal institute of technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland. He obtained Ph.D. from the Department of inorganic and physical chemistry, Indian Institute of Science (I.I.Sc), Bangalore. His Ph.D. thesis has been recognized by Dr. A. Nagaraja Rao Medal and Dr. J. C. Ghosh Medal as the best Ph.D. thesis of the year in the division of chemical sciences and in the department of inorganic and physical chemistry. His current research interests are in the areas of surfaces and interfaces, surface modification, patterning and spectroscopy.

  • Ph.D.: Dept. of Inorg. & Phys. Chem., Indian Institute of Science, (IISc) Bangalore, India, 2002.
  • M.Sc.: Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India, 1995. Specialization : Physical Chemistry.
  • B.Sc.: Chemistry: Salem Sowdeswari College, Salem, University of Madras, 1993.

JOURNAL ARTICLES:
  • Cristiana Passiu, Antonella Rossi, Laetitia Bernard, Dennis Paul, John Hammond, Wolfgang E. S. Unger,Nagaiyanallur V. Venkataraman, and Nicholas D. Spencer “Fabrication and Microscopic and Spectroscopic Characterization of Planar, Bimetallic, Micro- and Nanopatterned Surfaces” Langmuir, 2017, 33, 5657−5665.
  • N. V. Venkataraman, D. Kumar, A. Rossi, S. Zurcher, N. D. Spencer “Tailoring SU-8 Surfaces: Covalent Attachment of Polymers by Means of Nitrene Insertion” Langmuir, 2014, 30, 10107.
  • Naik, V; Crobu, M; Venkataraman, N. V; Spencer, N. D. “Multiple Transmission-Reflection IR Spectroscopy Shows that Surface Hydroxyls Play only a Minor Role in Alkylsilane Monolayer Formation on Silica” J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2013, 4, 2745.
  • Beurer, E; Venkataraman, N. V; Sommer, M; Spencer, N. D. “Protein and Nanoparticle Adsorption on Orthogonal, Charge-Density-Versus-Net-Charge Surface-Chemical Gradients”, Langmuir, 2012, 28, 3159.
  • Amstad, E; Gehring, A. U; Fischer, H; Venkataraman V. N ; Hahner, G; Textor, M; Reimhult, E. “Influence of Electronegative Substituents on the Binding Affinity of Catechol-Derived Anchors to Fe3O4 Nanoparticles” J. Phys. Chem. C, 2011, 115, 683.
  • Beurer, E; Venkataraman, N. V.; Rossi, A; Bachmann, F; Engeli, R; Spencer, N. D. “Orthogonal, Three-component, Alkanethiol-based, Surface-Chemical Gradients on Gold” Langmuir, 2010, 26, 8392.
  • Heeb, R.; Lee, S.; Venkataraman, N. V.; Spencer, N. D. “Influence of Salt on the Aqueous Lubrication Properties of End-Grafted, Ethylene Glycol-based Self-assembled Monolayers (SAMs)” ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2009, 1, 1105.
  • Venkataraman, N. V.; Zurcher, S.; Rossi, A.; Lee, S.; Naujoks, N.; Spencer, N. D. “Spatial Tuning of Metal Work Function by means of Alkanethiol and Fluorinated Alkanethiol Gradients” J. Phys. Chem. C, 2009, 113, 5620.
  • Liu, H-B.; Venkataraman, N. V.; Bauret, T.; Textor, M.; Xiao, S-J. “Multiple Transmission-Reflection Infrared Spectroscopic Measurement for High-Sensitivity Detection of Monolayers on Silicon Surfaces” J. Phys. Chem. A. 2008, 112, 12372.
  • Liu, H-B.; Venkataraman, N. V.; Spencer, N. D.; Textor, M.; Xiao, S-J. “Structural Evolution of Self-Assembled Alkanephosphate Monolayer on TiO2” Chem. Phys. Chem. 2008, 9, 1961 (featured as cover page).
  • Lee, S.; Heeb, R.; Venkataraman, N. V.; Spencer, N. D. “Macroscopic Tribological Testing of Alkanethiol Self-Assembly Monolayers (SAMs): Pin-on-Disk Tribometry with Elastomeric Sliding Contacts” Tribol. Lett., 2007, 28, 229.
  • Spori, D. M.; Venkataraman, N. V.; Tosatti, S. G. P.; Durmaz, F.; Spencer, N. D.; Zurcher, S. “Influence of Alkyl Chain Length on Phosphate Self-Assembled Monolayers” Langmuir, 2007, 23, 8053.
  • Suresh, R.; Venkataraman, N.; Vasudevan, S.; Ramanathan, K. V. “Conformational Mobility in Alkyl-Chains of an Anchored Bilayer” J. Phys. Chem. C, 2007, 111, 495.
  • Venkataraman, N. V.; Zurcher, S.; Spencer, N. D. “Order and Composition of Methyl-Carboxyl and Methyl-Hydroxyl Surface-Chemical Gradients” Langmuir, 2006, 22, 4184.
  • Venkataraman, N. V.; Vasudevan, S. “Binding of cholesterol to an intercalated surfactant bilayer” J. Phys. Chem. B, 2003, 107, 10119.
  • Venkataraman, N. V.; Vasudevan, S. “Solubilization of phenol in an intercalated surfactant bilayer” J. Phys. Chem. B, 2003, 107, 5371.
  • Barman, S.; Venkataraman, N. V.; Vasudevan, S.; Seshadri, R. “Phase transitions in the anchored organic bilayers of long-chain alkylammonium lead iodides (CnH2n+1NH3)2PbI4; n = 12, 16, 18” J. Phys. Chem. B, 2003, 107, 1875.
  • Venkataraman, N. V.; Mohanambe, L.; Vasudevan, S. “Functionlization of internal surface of layered cadmium thiophosphate with cationic surfactant: adsolubilization of neutral organic molecules” J. Mater. Chem., 2003, 13, 170.
  • Venkataraman, N. V.; Bhagyalakshmi, S.; Vasudevan, S.; Seshadri, R. “Conformation and orientation of alkyl chains in the layered organic-inorganic Hybrids: (CnH2n+1NH3) 2PbI4 (n=12,16,18)” Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2002, 4, 4533.

  • Jan 2021 – Associate Professor, Department of chemistry, Ecole Centrale school of Engineering, Mahindra university, Hyderabad, India
  • Mar 2014 – Dec 2020: Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Mahindra Ecole Centrale (MU), Hyderabad, India
  • Apr 2010 – Mar 2012 & Jan 2013 – Jan 2014: Senior Scientist (Oberassistent): Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, Department of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)-Zurich, Switzerland
  • Jan 2003 – Mar 2010: Post-Doctoral Assistant: Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, Department of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)-Zurich, Switzerland
  • Nov 2002 – Jan 2003: Academic Guest: Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, Department of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)-Zurich, Switzerland
  • Aug. 1996–Jul. 1998 & Aug.1998–Jul. 2001: Junior/Senior Research Fellow: Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
  • 1996: Project Scientist: Department of Metallurgy and Material Science, Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India

  • Physicochemical modification of surfaces
  • Self-assembled monolayers
  • Controlling surface roughness/topography
  • Micro and nano-scale patterning
  • Surface spectroscopy

Current research topics:

  • Structure-property correlations in surface modification for tribological applications
  • Understanding the role of surface roughness and surface chemistry in controlling heterogeneous crystallization
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