Dr Somenath Garai
Assistant Professor & researcher, Banaras Hindu University
Dr. Somenath Garai is highly accomplished Assistant Professor & researcher with expertise in coordinative stabilization of reactive species, encapsulation chemistry, and inorganic synthesis. Proficient in structural characterization using X-ray data analysis and skilled in material characterization techniques such as SEM, TEM, and electrochemical workstations. Demonstrated success with a strong publication record, including prestigious journals and patents. Recognized with national and international awards for research excellence and innovative contributions to alternative energy generation.
In short, He has obtained his bachelor degree in the ‘Presidency College’, Kolkata in 2008. His research during his master's thesis was focused on the inorganic nano-chemistry inside the cavity of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT), under the supervision of Prof. Dr. S. Sarkar in ‘IIT Kanpur’ in 2010. Thereafter, He moved to Germany for his doctoral studies in the ‘Bielefeld University’ which was completed in September, 2015 with the Summa Cum Laude (Best) distinction. After receiving his PhD degree, he has moved to ‘Technical University of Berlin’ for Postdoctoral research in 2016 and ‘Weizmann Institute of Science’, Israel in 2017. In Bielefeld, He mainly worked on the design and synthetic strategy development for studying the coordination chemistry inside nanocavity of an extremely large spherical metal oxide cluster, known as {Mo132}-Nano-Keplerate. The icosahedral {Mo132}-cluster is one of the most celebrated molecules in inorganic chemistry not only because of its remarkable pentagonal symmetry and water solubility but also due to its deliberated coordinative tunability of the cluster interior which is a unique property in case of the nanomaterials.
Dr. Somenath Garai has pioneered cost-efficient technology for Bulk Green Hydrogen Production and Utilization and this technology has been awarded by the President of India with Visitors Award for Innovation, 2023, which was received by the President of BHU Innovation Council. As Principal Investigator, he has completed six research projects worth approximately ₹2.04 crore, securing total funding of ₹5.4 crore from the Ministry of Mines, DST, SERB, and PSU industries. He was selected as an INSA-ACS Future Leader Fellow by the Indian Academy of Sciences and nominated by DST to deliver a keynote lecture at the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Workshop on Green Hydrogen Systems in Japan (February 2024). His innovations have been showcased at prestigious events, including the 9th Smart Cities INDIA Expo (January 2024), the "Big in Asia" Annual Event in Tallinn, Estonia (December 2023), the Integrated Clean Energy Material Acceleration Platform & AHFC Expert Panel Meeting at Banaras Hindu University (October 2023), and the Clean Energy Ministerial & Mission Innovation Meeting at the G20 Energy Transition Ministerial Meeting, Goa (July 2023). His contributions have earned him recognition at the Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK) Next-Generation Water Action Challenge (2021, DTU) and the Suqia Water Innovation Award (2021, UAE).
