Support of kallol Ray as Einstein Professor

Understanding the basic chemistry of dioxygen formation and activation is of paramount importance
in the development of clean and sustainable energy. The economic and social development of the
world is also strongly dependent on the development of environmentally benign, efficient, and
selective catalytic systems. Today, the world’s attention is focused on the energy problem, and the
solution will require a deep commitment from the communities of environmental, catalytic, and
bioinspired chemistry. In addition to the aspects of green chemistry and green energy production,
dioxygen is a source of both beneficial and detrimental processes in chemical biology. The proposed
research dealing mainly with Dioxygen Formation-Activation-Catalysis will reveal the information
essential to the understanding of the roles of metal ions, their structures, their formation
mechanisms, and the reactivities of active intermediates at the active sites of metalloenzymes. The
proposed research will also yield information that will lead to the solution of two of the most
fundamental problems within the areas of green oxidation and green energy production: How can the
oxidative power of metal-oxygen species be controlled in industrial and biological reactions? And
how can solar energy be captured for use in the photocatalytic oxidation and reduction of water?
The present bioinspired basic research is therefore devoted to the development of bioinspired
energy conversion and green oxidation. The long term aim is to develop "intelligent" catalysis in
oxidation reactions that can be used in industry and energy production, which has tremendous
socio-economic value.