About the Centre of Excellence on Microreaction Technology (CoE)

NCL is a leading research and development laboratory devoted to the broad area of chemical sciences. NCL focuses on cutting edge R & D to deliver products, processes, intellectual property and services to create wealth to its stake holders. For ensuring this, it is essential to continuously re-examine the way R &D is being carried out at NCL and to explore ways to enhance its effectiveness by employing novel ideas and innovative technology. One of the outcomes from such periodic evaluations of our strengths in the established areas, worldwide current research directions and the need to develop and implement specific approaches for the process intensification for the future of chemical industry has led us to develop a program on engineering of miniaturized devices and development of continuous flow chemistry. As it is being argued over a decade, the micro-reactor engineering provides a unique opportunity to revitalize the present status of chemical industry and to enhance its benefits to the society. These micro-reactor technologies have created new platforms for conducting chemical synthesis effectively. With NCL’s strengths in synthesis, catalysis, analysis, engineering and direct relevance with the industrial research, we are establishing a Centre of Excellence on Microreaction Technology (CoE). CoE documents and subsequently a website will have the above logo.

This CoE was initialized in 2008 and is a long term, capability development program where the advantages of miniaturization and continuous flow will be explored and extended towards the understanding science of small devices and further use it to develop new technologies. This is an activity proposed to run a few interdisciplinary projects with the focus to use the microreaction technology for developing detailed understanding about different applications, where the different aspects of the microreaction technology are expected to be useful. Initially, the CoE was proposed to be operational until April 2010 and then will be continued depending upon the interest. Currently, the CoE is an internal network of activities between the scientists from various divisions having an inclination towards exploring the viability of the continuous flow approach for specific scientific pursuits and depending upon the need and viability. The PIs should ensure that the proposals aim at tangible and useful scientific research having the potential to bring out a technology. Also, the outcome form the individual projects should meet the world standards and will be periodically evaluated by a monitoring committee. A team of scientists from NCL, working in this CoE is encouraged to submit new proposals from time to time for their evaluation to the monitoring committee [comprised of Professor Giridhar Madras (IISc), Professor Shantanu Roy (IIT-D), Professor Anand Patwardhan (ICT)] and the Head CEPD as the permanent member of the monitoring committee. The monitoring committee has a duration of five years. Dr. Amol Kulkarni is the co-ordinator of the entire activity including the organization of the monitoring committee meetings for projects’ evaluation. The inclusion of the new proposals under CoE will be solely decided by the Director, NCL on the basis of the recommendations of the monitoring committee. So far 12 projects have been sponsored under this CoE and the activity will continue with increasing interest amongst the scientists for using microfluidic platform for exploring and practicing chemistry.