Raja Angamuthu received his bachelor’s (2000) and master’s degrees (2002) from Bharathidasan University, Thiruchirappalli; practiced bioinorganic chemistry as a research assistant in Palaniandavar’s group (2002–2005); moved to Leiden University in March 2005 for PhD (Jan Reedijk and Elisabeth Bouwman), where he mimicked the enzyme NiFe hydrogenase. After receiving his PhD (Oct 2009), he became a Rubicon postdoctoral fellow (independent fellowship from the Dutch government) in the group of Prof. Thomas B. Rauchfuss at UIUC from April 2010, where he worked on the development of bio-inspired NiRu complexes and isolated the much sought-after cofactor aza-dithiol in its N-protected form. In July 2012, he was appointed as an assistant professor of chemistry at IIT Kanpur, promoted to associate professor in 2018, and became a professor in 2024 (effective from 2023). His present interests include (1) studying multicomponent pools inspired by primordial soup to find emergent molecules, (2) using bio-inspired weak interactions in the sequestration and activation of environmentally detrimental molecules; and (3) organic and metal hydrides.

Amarish (18107265) is from Kanpur. He graduated from CSJM University, Kanpur. Working with pyridinophane-based Ni(II) complexes for metal-hydrides.

Archana (20207262) is from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. She graduated from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. Working on deracemisation of koneramines. Archana holds a Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship.

Neha (21107268) is from Nawada, Bihar. She graduated from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. Developing new triazines for small molecule sequestration employing bio-inspired weak interactions.

Shruthi (21207268) is from Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu. She graduated from the Central University of Tamilnadu, Tiruvarur. Developing new hydrides for sulfur dioxide activation. Shruthi holds Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship.

Pranay (231070624) is from Cuttack, Odisha. He graduated from Odisha University of Technology and Research, Bhubaneswar. Developing pyrene appended koneramines, to begin with.

Aman (231070603) is from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. He graduated from the University of Allahabad; busy developing new koneramine-based systems.

Bikash

Ashok (231070008) is from Nayagrah, Odisha. He got his bachelor’s degree from Utkal University and is now studying master’s at IIT Kanpur. He is getting trained by Shruthi (ferrocene appended triazines) for his MSc project.

Samya (231070032) is from Begusarai, Bihar. She got her bachelor’s degree from Miranda House, Delhi University; studying master’s at IIT Kanpur. She is getting trained by Archana (Koneramines) for her MSc project.