Louise Natrajan

Last updated
Louise Natrajan
Born
Louise Sarah Natrajan
Alma mater University of York [1] (MChem)
University of Nottingham [1] (PhD)
Known for Actinides
Luminescence Spectroscopy
Awards
Scientific career
Fields Inorganic chemistry
Actinide chemistry
Radioactivity
InstitutionsThe University of Manchester
Thesis Lanthanide and Group (IV) (OSO) binaphtolates : synthesis and catalysis  (2003)
Doctoral advisor Prof. Polly Arnold
Website teamnatrajan.weebly.com

Louise Sarah Natrajan is a British chemist and a reader in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Manchester. [1] Her research typically is based on actinide chemistry and luminescence spectroscopy, though some of her published research has extended to lanthanide chemistry, transition metal complexes and organic chemistry. [4]

Contents

Education

Natrajan completed her MChem in 1999 at University of York. [1] Upon graduation, she read her Doctor of Philosophy degree at University of Nottingham with Prof. Polly Arnold on Lanthanide and Group (IV) (OSO) binaphtolates : synthesis and catalysis and successfully gained her PhD in 2003. [1] [5]

Research and career

Upon completing her PhD, Natrajan completed her postdoctoral research from 2003 - 2004 with Prof. Marinella Mazzanti at CEA Grenoble in France. [6] She was then appointed as a Leverhulme Trust funded postdoctoral research assistant with Prof. Stephen Faulkner at the University of Manchester from 2005 to 2008 and was an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Career Acceleration Fellow from 2009 to 2013. [6] In 2013, she was promoted to the position of Reader in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Manchester. [1] [6]

Natrajan's research is generally based on actinide chemistry and luminescence spectroscopy, though some of her published research has extended to lanthanide chemistry, transition metal complexes and organic chemistry. [4] Her group also works with David P. Mills and Darren Willcox at University of Manchester.

Apart from research and lecturing, Natrajan and her team also actively participates in outreach activities including in Science Spectacular (2018), Pint of Science (2018), and Soapbox Science (2016). [7] [8] She also engages in work related to promotion and development of women in STEM. [9] Natrajan is also the co-organizer of the 10th International Conference on Nuclear and Radiochemistry which will be held in August 2024. [10]

Notable work

Dr. Natrajan has conducted several research on understanding of the chemistry of actinide ions in unusual oxidation state and also in radiochemistry, where she has developed new methods such as new optical imaging techniques to measure and probe radioelements. [11]

In 2020, Dr. Natrajan participated in a research which showed how U(VI) undergoes microbial reduction to form U(IV) and U(VI)via disproportion of U(V). [12] This was the first time the mechanism for this process was significantly researched, and the study showed that the microbial reduction occurs via a single electron transfer to U(VI) by the model Fe(III)-reducing bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR1, to form U(V) and thereby lead to the disproportionation. This research aids in the understanding of possible methods of reducing uranium mobility in contaminated environments.

Dr. Natrajan has also contributed to Organometallic Chemistry (Volume 42) where she discussed the use of near infra-red light in both multiphoton and upconversion processes as an alternative technique to luminescence spectroscopy in order to measure the excitation and optical properties of lanthanide(III) complexes. [13]

Dr. Natrajan took part in organizing the Newton Bhabha Researcher Links Workshop along with Prof. Prasun Mandal which was held on 14 to 17 December 2017. The workshop was aimed to bring together young and eminent scientific researchers from the UK and Indian institutes towards building international connections and thereby improving the quality of their research, and the three day workshop was concluded successfully, with 15 fully-funded participants from all over the UK taking part. [14] [15]

Awards and nominations

Major reviews and publications

1. Reviews:

2. Publications:

Related Research Articles

The actinide or actinoid series encompasses the 15 metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers from 89 to 103, actinium through lawrencium. The actinide series derives its name from the first element in the series, actinium. The informal chemical symbol An is used in general discussions of actinide chemistry to refer to any actinide.

The lanthanide or lanthanoid series of chemical elements comprises the 15 metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers 57–71, from lanthanum through lutetium. These elements, along with the chemically similar elements scandium and yttrium, are often collectively known as the rare-earth elements or rare-earth metals.

Neodymium(III) chloride or neodymium trichloride is a chemical compound of neodymium and chlorine with the formula NdCl3. This anhydrous compound is a mauve-colored solid that rapidly absorbs water on exposure to air to form a purple-colored hexahydrate, NdCl3·6H2O. Neodymium(III) chloride is produced from minerals monazite and bastnäsite using a complex multistage extraction process. The chloride has several important applications as an intermediate chemical for production of neodymium metal and neodymium-based lasers and optical fibers. Other applications include a catalyst in organic synthesis and in decomposition of waste water contamination, corrosion protection of aluminium and its alloys, and fluorescent labeling of organic molecules (DNA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Europium(III) chloride</span> Chemical compound

Europium(III) chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula EuCl3. The anhydrous compound is a yellow solid. Being hygroscopic it rapidly absorbs water to form a white crystalline hexahydrate, EuCl3·6H2O, which is colourless. The compound is used in research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organoactinide chemistry</span> Study of chemical compounds containing actinide-carbon bonds

Organoactinide chemistry is the science exploring the properties, structure, and reactivity of organoactinide compounds, which are organometallic compounds containing a carbon to actinide chemical bond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Raymond</span> American inorganic chemist

Kenneth Norman Raymond is a bioinorganic and coordination chemist. He is Chancellor's Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, Professor of the Graduate School, the Director of the Seaborg Center in the Chemical Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the President and Chairman of Lumiphore.

Stephen T. Liddle FRSE FRSC is a British professor of inorganic chemistry at the University of Manchester. He is Head of Inorganic Chemistry and Co-Director of the Centre for Radiochemistry Research at the University of Manchester since 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polly Arnold</span> British chemist

Polly Louise Arnold is director of the chemical sciences division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. She previously held the Crum Brown chair in the School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh from 2007 to 2019 and an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) career fellowship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actinide chemistry</span> Branch of nuclear chemistry

Actinide chemistry is one of the main branches of nuclear chemistry that investigates the processes and molecular systems of the actinides. The actinides derive their name from the group 3 element actinium. The informal chemical symbol An is used in general discussions of actinide chemistry to refer to any actinide. All but one of the actinides are f-block elements, corresponding to the filling of the 5f electron shell; lawrencium, a d-block element, is also generally considered an actinide. In comparison with the lanthanides, also mostly f-block elements, the actinides show much more variable valence. The actinide series encompasses the 15 metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers from 89 to 103, actinium through lawrencium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorium compounds</span> Any chemical compound having at least one atom of thorium

Many compounds of thorium are known: this is because thorium and uranium are the most stable and accessible actinides and are the only actinides that can be studied safely and legally in bulk in a normal laboratory. As such, they have the best-known chemistry of the actinides, along with that of plutonium, as the self-heating and radiation from them is not enough to cause radiolysis of chemical bonds as it is for the other actinides. While the later actinides from americium onwards are predominantly trivalent and behave more similarly to the corresponding lanthanides, as one would expect from periodic trends, the early actinides up to plutonium have relativistically destabilised and hence delocalised 5f and 6d electrons that participate in chemistry in a similar way to the early transition metals of group 3 through 8: thus, all their valence electrons can participate in chemical reactions, although this is not common for neptunium and plutonium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaqueline Kiplinger</span> American inorganic chemist

Jaqueline Kiplinger is an American inorganic chemist who specializes in organometallic actinide chemistry. Over the course of her career, she has done extensive work with fluorocarbons and actinides. She is currently a Fellow of the Materials Synthesis and Integrated Devices group in the Materials Physics and Applications Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Her current research interests are focused on the development of chemistry for the United States’ national defense and energy needs.

William J. Evans is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in the inorganic and organometallic chemistry of heavy metals, specifically the rare earth metals, actinides, and bismuth. He has published over 500 peer-reviewed research papers on these topics.

Robert Guillaumont is a French chemist and honorary professor at the University of Paris-Saclay in Orsay (1967-1998), Member of the French Academy of Sciences and the French Academy of Technologies

Jonathan Richard Lloyd is a professor of geomicrobiology and director of the Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science, and is based in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester. His research is based at the interface between microbiology, geology and chemistry. His research focuses on the mechanisms of microbial metal-reduction, with emphasis on the environmental impact and biotechnological applications of metal-reducing bacteria. Some of the contaminants he studies include As, Tc, Sr, U, Np and Pu. Current activities are supported by funds from NERC, BBSRC, EPSRC, the EU and industry. Lloyd is also a senior visiting fellow at the National Nuclear Laboratory, which helps support the development of a nuclear geomicrobiology programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David P. Mills</span> British chemist

David Paul Mills is a British chemist and a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Manchester. His research typically investigates the chemistry of the lanthanide and actinide f-block elements. This is generally based on the synthesis of new f-block complexes, structural and bonding properties and their uses in different fields including in nuclear fuel cycles, energy and single molecule magnets.

Eric John Logan McInnes is a British chemist and a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Manchester. His research in general is based on inorganic chemistry and magnetochemistry, specifically on molecular magnetism, EPR spectroscopy and coordination chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Albrecht-Schönzart</span> American chemical researcher (born 1971)

Thomas Albrecht-Schönzart is an American radiochemist specializing in the chemistry and physics of transuranium elements. He is jointly appointed as a University Distinguished Professor at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, and Director of the Nuclear Science & Engineering Center as well as a scientist at Los Alamos National Lab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marinella Mazzanti</span> Italian chemist

Marinella Mazzanti is an Italian inorganic chemist specialized in coordination chemistry. She is a professor at EPFL and the head of the group of Coordination Chemistry at EPFL's School of Basic Sciences.

Curium compounds are compounds containing the element curium (Cm). Curium usually forms compounds in the +3 oxidation state, although compounds with curium in the +4, +5 and +6 oxidation states are also known.

Einsteinium compounds are compounds that contain the element einsteinium (Es). These compounds largely have einsteinium in the +3 oxidation state, or in some cases in the +2 and +4 oxidation states. Although einsteinium is relatively stable, with half-lives ranging from 20 days upwards, these compounds have not been studied in great detail.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 University of Manchester. "Dr. Louise Natrajan" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 Royal Society of Chemistry. "Bill Newton Award/Lectureship" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 Patmore, Nathan J; P Elliott, Paul (23 November 2018). Organometallic Chemistry: Volume 42. England: Royal Society of Chemistry. p. viii. ISBN   978-1-78801-067-2.
  4. 1 2 "Dr Louise Natrajan:Publications" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  5. Natrajan, Louise Sarah (2003). Lanthanide and Group (IV) (OSO) binaphtolates : synthesis and catalysis (PhD thesis).(subscription required)
  6. 1 2 3 "About Dr. Louise Natrajan" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  7. "Dr. Louise Natrajan, Outreach" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  8. "Radioactivity - The Glowing Future" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  9. University of Manchester. "Dr Louise Natrajan (Women of Wonder)" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  10. Royal Society of Chemistry. "10th International Conference on Nuclear and Radiochemistry– NRC10" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  11. The Nuclear Institute. "Women in Nuclear UK" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  12. Vettese, Gianni F.; Morris, Katherine; Natrajan, Louise S.; Shaw, Samuel; Vitova, Tonya; Galanzew, Jurij; Jones, Debbie L.; Lloyd, Jonathan R. (2020). "Multiple Lines of Evidence Identify U(V) as a Key Intermediate during U(VI) Reduction by Shewanella oneidensis MR1". Environ. Sci. Technol. 54 (4): 2268–2276. Bibcode:2020EnST...54.2268V. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05285 . PMID   31934763.
  13. Woodward, Fred; Wilson, Hannah; Natrajan, Louise S (January 1, 2001). "Multiphoton and upconverted excitation of lanthanide(iii) ions in coordination complexes". In Patmore, Nathan J; Elliott, Paul I P (eds.). Organometallic Chemistry. Vol. 42. Book Publishers. pp. 172–189. ISBN   978-1-78801-067-2.
  14. "Newton Bhabha Researcher Links Workshop (Official Website)" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  15. "Newton Bhabha Researcher Links Workshop" . Retrieved 12 June 2020.