• ISCB Young Scientist Award 2012 in chemical sciences
• DST-SERB Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientist 2011 in chemical sciences
• APS Dependent Child Care Award 2009 in division of chemical physics

• “Investigation of Ultrafast Dynamics of Chromophores Exhibiting Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence for OLEDs”
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Amount: 22.39 Lakhs
  Duration: May 2022 to April 2025
  Sponsoring Agency: DAE-BRNS, India
• “Two Electrons by One Photon: Exploring the Singlet Fission Dynamics for Photovoltaic Applications (SF)”
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Amount: 32.30 Lakhs
  Duration: August 2021 to July 2023
  Sponsoring Agency: CSIR, India
  Theme: FBR, Energy and Energy Devices
• “Novel Strategies for the Generation of Long-Lived Photoinduced Charge Separated States in Donor-Acceptor Systems”
  Role: Co-Principal Investigator
  Amount: 34.23 Lakhs
  Duration: February 2020 to January 2023
  Sponsoring Agency: CRG-SERB, DST, India
• “Revealing the Interaction Mechanism of the Protein with Lipids in the Apoptosis Process: Electronic, Vibrational and Conformational Relaxation Dynamics of the Heme in the Liposomes”
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Amount: 59.63 Lakhs
  Duration: April 2018 to March 2022
  Sponsoring Agency: DBT, India
• “Ultrafast Electron Transfer Dynamics and Anti-Proliferative Activity of Hybrid Transition Metal Nitrosyl Complexes”
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Amount: 6.70 Lakhs
  Duration: November 2018 to November 2021
  Sponsoring Agency: India-Austria Exchange Programme (DST -BMWFW), India
  Austrian Collaborator: Prof. Vladimir B. Arion, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
• “Large Area Opto-Electronics for Australia and India: From Materials to Advanced Devices”
  Role: Co-Principal Investigator
  Amount: 73.10 Lakhs
  Duration: April 2018 to March 2021
  Sponsoring Agency: Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (DST- AISRF), India
  Australian Collaborator: Prof. Ebinazar B. Namdas, University of Queensland, Australia.
• “Investigation of Ultrafast Dynamics of Chromophores Involved in Singlet Exciton Fission Processes Towards Solar Cell Applications”
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Amount: 53.00 Lakhs
  Duration: December 2015 to November 2018
  Sponsoring Agency: SERB-DST (EMRF), India
• “Charge Carrier Transport in Polymeric and Organic Semiconducting Thin Films for Application in Light Emitting Diodes, Field-effect Transistors and Photovoltaic Devices”
  Role: Co-Principal Investigator
  Amount: 24.00 Lakhs
  Duration: November 2015 to October 2018
  Sponsoring Agency: RFBR-DST, India
• “Investigation of Conformational Sub-states and Low Frequency Vibrational Dynamics of Native and Non-native Heme Proteins”
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Amount: 25.80 Lakhs
  Duration: July 2011 to June 2014
  Sponsoring Agency: SERC-DST (Fast Track Scheme), India

• 2003 – 2007: Ph. D(Magna Cum Laude) in Physical Chemistry, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  Thesis title: “Femtosecond Solvation, Excited State Dynamics and Photophysical Properties of Chromophores Used in Polynucleic Acids” under the guidance of Prof. Nikolaus P.Ernsting.
• 1994 – 1996: M. Sc. in Chemistry, D. G. Vaishnav College, University of Madras, Chennai, India.
• 1991 – 1994: B. Sc. in Chemistry, D. G. Vaishnav College, University of Madras, Chennai, India

Technical :

• 1997: Diploma in Chemical Processes, Instrumentation and Control, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India.
• 1998: Diploma in Quality Control Management & ISO 9000, National Institute of Industrial Research & Development, Chennai, India.
• 2002: Diploma in Management, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India

• 2003 – 2007: Ph. D(Magna Cum Laude) in Physical Chemistry, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
  Thesis title: “Femtosecond Solvation, Excited State Dynamics and Photophysical Properties of Chromophores Used in Polynucleic Acids” under the guidance of Prof. Nikolaus P.Ernsting.
• 1994 – 1996: M. Sc. in Chemistry, D. G. Vaishnav College, University of Madras, Chennai, India.
• 1991 – 1994: B. Sc. in Chemistry, D. G. Vaishnav College, University of Madras, Chennai, India

Technical :

• 1997: Diploma in Chemical Processes, Instrumentation and Control, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India.
• 1998: Diploma in Quality Control Management & ISO 9000, National Institute of Industrial Research & Development, Chennai, India.
• 2002: Diploma in Management, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India

• G. M. Somashekharappa, M. Paul, C. Govind, R. Mathew, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Intermolecular Interaction Dynamics between NIR-Absorbing Unsymmetrical Squaraines and PCBM: Effect of Halogen Substitution”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2022, 126, 4509-4519.
• A. Shukla, V. T. N. Mai, V. V. Divya, S. Cherumuttathu*, M. Paul, V. Karunakaran, S. K. M. McGregor, I. Allison, N. Unni, A. Ajayaghosh, E. B. Namdas*, S.-C. Lo*, “Amplified Spontaneous Emission from Zwitterionic Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer”, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 30, 13499-13510.
• S. Paul, V. Karunakaran*, “Excimer Formation Inhibits the Intramolecular Singlet Fission Dynamics: Systematic Tilting of Pentacene Dimers by Linking Positions”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2022, 126, 1054-1062.
• R. Sawada, T. Maeda,* Y. Oda, S. Yagi, V. Karunakaran, H. Fujiwara, A. Ajayaghosh*, “Synthesis, Photophysical and Electrochemical Properties of Bis-Squaraine Dyes Fused on Isomeric Benzodipyrrole Central Units”, Chem. Asian J., 2022, 17, e202200227.
• S. K. M. McGregor, C. Govind, M. K. R. Wood, A. Shukla, H. Lim, R. J. Lepage, E. H. Krenske, N. Unni, A. Ajayaghosh, V. Karunakaran*, E. B. Namdas*, S.-C. Lo*, “Structural Integration of Carbazole and Tetraphenylethylene: Ultrafast Excited-State Relaxation Dynamics and Efficient Electroluminescence”, Adv. Photo. Res., 2021, 2000144.
• S. Paul, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran*, “Planarity and Length of the Bridge Control Rate and Efficiency of Intramolecular Singlet Fission in Pentacene Dimers”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2021, 125, 231-239.
• G. M. Somashekharappa, C. Govind, K. P. Vijith, M. Paul, M. A. G. Namboothiry^*, S. Das^*, V. Karunakaran^*, “Unsymmetrical Squaraine Dye-Based Organic Photodetector Exhibiting Enhanced Near Infrared Sensitivity”, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2020, 124, 21730-21739.
• C. Govind, M. Paul, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Heme Relaxation Dynamics Probing the Unfolded States of Cytochrome c Induced by Liposomes: Effect of Charge of Phospholipids”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2020, 124, 2769-2777.
• A. Raman, A. U. Neelambra, V. Karunakaran, S. Easwaramoorthi*, “Non-Photoisomerizable Butterfly Shaped Tetrasubstituted Azobenzenes: Synthesis and Photophysical Studies, New. J. Chem., 2020, 44, 8818-8822.
• A. U. Neelambra, C. Govind, T.T. Devassia, G. M. Somashekharappa, V. Karunakaran*, “Direct Evidence of Solvent Polarity Governing the Intramolecular Charge and Energy Transfer: Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of Push-Pull Fluorene Derivative”, Phys.Chem.Chem.Phys., 2019,21, 11087-11102.
• K. Mahato, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran, S. Nandy, C. Sudakar, E. Prasad*, “Enhanced Charge Transport and Excited State Charge Transfer Dynamics in a Colloidal Mixture of CdTe and Graphene Quantum Dots”, J. Phys. Chem. C., 2019, doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b02708.
• I. Allison, H. Lim, A. Shukla, V. Ahmad, M. Hasan, K.Deshmukh, R. Wawrzinek, S. K. M. McGregor, J. K. Clegg,V. V. Divya, C. Govind, C. H. Suresh, V. Karunakaran, N. Unni, A. Ajayaghosh, E. B. Namdas*, S.-C. Lo*, “Solution Processable Deep-Red Phosphorescent Pt(II) Complex: Direct Conversion from Its Pt(IV) Species via a Base Promoted Reduction”, ACS Appl. Electron. Mater., 2019,1, 1304-1313.
• G. Augustine, s. S. Raghavan, K. NumbiRamudu, S. Easwaramoorthi, G. Shanmugam, J. S. Murugaiyan, K. Gunasekaran, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran, N. Ayyadurai*, “Excited State Electronic Interconversion and Structural Transformation of Engineered Red Emitting Green Fluorescent Protein Mutant”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2019, 123, 2316-2324.
• E. Orlowska, M. Babak, O. Dömötör, E. A. Enyedy, P. Rapta, M. Zalibera, L. Bu?inský, M. Mal?ek, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran, D. Luneau, D. Schaniel, W. H. Ang, V. B. Arion*,“NO releasing and anticancer properties of octahedral ruthenium-nitrosyl complexes with equatorial 1H-indazole ligands”, Inorg. Chem., 2018,57, 10702-10717.
• A. Krishna, E. Varathan, P. Sreedevi, V. Subramanian,V. Karunakaran, R.L. Varma*, “Design, synthesis and photophysical investigation of triphenylaminebithiophene dyes as RGB emitters for white light applications”, Dyes and Pigments., 2018, 159, 77–84.
• C. Govind, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of Photoexcited Heme Model Compounds: Observation of Multiple Electronic Spin States and Vibrational Cooling”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2017, 121, 3111-3120.
• V. Karunakaran*, S. Das, “Direct Observation of Cascade of Photoinduced Ultrafast Intramolecular Charge Transfer Dynamics in Diphenyl Acetylene Derivatives: Via Solvation and Intramolecular Relaxation”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2016, 120, 7016–7023.
• A. Sandeep,V. K. Praveen,K. K. Kartha,V. Karunakaran,A. Ajayaghosh, “Supercoiled fibres of self-sorted donor-acceptor stacks: aturn-off/turn-on platform for sensing volatile aromaticcompounds”,Chem. Sci., 2016,7, 4460-4467.
• P. Suyana, K. R. Sneha, B. N. Nair,V. Karunakaran,A. P. Mohamed, K. G. K. Warrier, U. S. Hareesh,“C3N4- ZnS Composite Interfaces as Heterojunctions for Sun Light Induced Multifunctional Photocatalytic Applications”, RSC Adv. 2016, 6, 17800-17809.
• V. Karunakaran*,“Ultrafast Heme Dynamics of Ferric Cytochrome c in Different Environments: Electronic, Vibrational and Conformational Relaxation”,Chem. Phys. Chem., 2015,16, 3974–3983.
• V. Karunakaran*, D. Prabhu, S. Das, S. Varughese, “Transformation of Photophysical Properties From Solution to Solid State in Alkoxy-Cyano-Diphenylacetylene Molecules”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, 17, 18768-18779.
• N. Narayanan, K. Varsha, W. Paul, K. Venugopal, K. Sujathan, K. K. Maiti, “Aggregation induced Raman scattering of squaraine dye: Implementation in diagnosis of cervical cancer dysplasia by SERS imaging”, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2015,70,145-152.
• V. Karunakaran, Y. Sun, A.Benabbas,P. M. Champion, “Investigations of the Low Frequency Modes of Ferric Cytochrome C Using Vibrational Coherence Spectroscopy”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2014, 118, 6062–6070.
• V. S. Nair, Y. Pareek, V. Karunakaran*, M. Ravikanth, A. Ajayaghosh, “Supramolecular Complexes Consisting of Multiple Photosynthetic Reaction Centers- Cyclotriphosphazene Appended Porphyrins and Fulleropyrrolidine Dyads: Steady and Excited State Photophysical Investigation”, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys, 2014 ,16, 10149-10156.
• V. Karunakaran*, D. Prabu, S. Das, “Optical Investigation of Self-Aggregation of a Tetrazole Substituted Diphenylacetylene Derivative: Steady and Excited State Dynamics in Solid and Solution State”, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2013, 117, 9404-9415.
• Y. Sun, V. Karunakaran, P. M. Champion, “Investigations of the Low Frequency Spectral Density of Cytochrome C Upon Equilibrium Unfolding”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2013, 117, 9615–9625.
• A. Benabbas, V. Karunakaran, H. Youn, T. L. Poulos, P. M. Champion, “Effect of DNA binding on geminate CO recombination kinetics in the CO-sensing transcription factor, CooA”, J. Biol. Chem. 2012, 287, 21729-21740.
• V. Karunakaran, A. Benabbas, H. Youn, P. M. Champion, “Vibrational Coherence Spectroscopy of the Heme Domain in the CO-Sensing Transcriptional Activator CooA”, J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2011, 133, 18816-18827.
• V.  Karunakaran, I. Denisov, S. G. Sligar, P. M. Champion, “Investigation of the low frequency dynamics of heme proteins:  Native and mutant cytochromes P450_cam and redox partner complexes”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2011,115, 5665-5677.
• V.  Karunakaran, A. Benabbas, Y. Sun, Z. Zhang, S. Singh, R. Banerjee, P. M. Champion, “Investigations of low frequency vibrational dynamics and ligand binding kinetics of Cystathionineb-synthase”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2010, 114, 3294-3306.
• V. Karunakaran, K. Kleinermanns, R. Improta, S. A. Kovalenko,“Photoinduced dynamics of Guanosine monophosphate in water from broad-band transient absorption spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations”, J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2009, 131, 5839-5850.
• V. Karunakaran, M. Pfaffe, I. Ioffe, T. Senyushkina, S. A. Kovalenko, R. Mahrwald, V. Fartzdinov, H. Sklenar, N. P. Ernsting, “Solvation oscillations and excited-state dynamics of 2-amino- and 2-hydroxy-7-nitro-fluorene and its 2´-deoxy-riboside”, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2008,112, 4294-4307.
• D. Löwenich, K. Kleinermanns, V. Karunakaran, S. Kovalenko, “ Transient and Stationary Spectroscopy of Cytochrome c: Ultrafast Internal conversion Controls Photoreduction”, Photochem. Photobiol. 2008 , 84, 193-201.
• V. Karunakaran, T. Senyushkina, G. Saroja, J. Liebscher, N. P. Ernsting,“2-Amino-7-Nitro-Fluorenes in neat and mixed solvents- Optical band shapes and solvatochromism”, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2007,111, 10944-10952.
• M. Ostermeier, C. Limberg, B. Ziemer, V. Karunakaran “Solvent dependent oxidation of a (pyridylmethyl)amino ligand by FeCl₃ to give a water-soluble blue fluorophore”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 5329-5331.
• V. Karunakaran, J. L. P. Lustres, L. Zhao, N. P. Ernsting, O. Seitz, “Large dynamic Stokes shift of DNA intercalation dye Thiazole Orange has contribution from a high-frequency mode” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 2954-2962.
• V. A. Galievsky, S. I. Druzhinin, A. Demeter, Y.-B. Jiang, S. A. Kovalenko, L. P. Lustres, K. Venugopal, N. P. Ernsting, X. Allonas, M. Noltemeyer, R. Machinek, K. A. Zachariasse, “Ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer and internal conversion with tetrafluoroaminobenzonitriles”, Chem. Phys. Chem, 2005, 6, 2307-2323.
• V. Raghukumar, D. Thirumalai, V. T. Ramakrishnan, V. Karunakaran, P. Ramamurthy, “Synthesis of nicotinonitrile derivatives as a new class of NLO materials”, Tetrahedron 2003, 59, 3761–3768.
• V. Karunakaran, P. Ramamurthy, T. Josephrajan, V. T. Ramamkrishnan, “Solvent effects and photophysical studies of a new class of Acridine(1,8)dione dyes”, Spectrochim. Acta Part A: Chemistry 2002, 58, 1443–1451.

• Intramolecular Singlet Fission Dynamics
  • S. Paul, V. Karunakaran*, “Excimer Formation Inhibits the Intramolecular Singlet Fission Dynamics: Systematic Tilting of Pentacene Dimers by Linking Positions”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2022, 126, 1054–1062.
  • S. Paul, C. Govind, V. Karunakaran*, “Planarity and Length of the Bridge Control Rate and Efficiency of Intramolecular Singlet Fission in Pentacene Dimers”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2021, 125, 231–239.

• Interaction Dynamics of NIR-Absorbing Unsymmetrical Squaraines with PCBM
  • G. M. Somashekharappa, M. Paul, C. Govind, R. Mathew, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Intermolecular Interaction Dynamics between NIR-Absorbing Unsymmetrical Squaraines and PCBM: Effect of Halogen Substitution”, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2022, 126, 4509-4519.
  • G. M. Somashekharappa, C. Govind, K. P. Vijith, M. Paul,M. A. G. Namboothiry,*, S. Das*, V. Karunakaran*, “Unsymmetrical Squaraine Dye-Based Organic Photodetector Exhibiting Enhanced Near Infrared Sensitivity”, J. Phys. Chem. C., 2020, 124, 21730-21739.

• Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of Heme Proteins 
  • C. Govind, M. Paul, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Heme Relaxation Dynamics Probing the Unfolded States of Cytochrome c Induced by Liposomes:  Effect of Charge of Phospholipids”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2020, 124, 2769-2777.
  • C. Govind, V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Relaxation Dynamics of Photoexcited Heme Model Compounds: Observation of Multiple Electronic Spin States and Vibrational Cooling”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2017, 121, 3111-3120
  • V. Karunakaran*, “Ultrafast Heme Dynamics of Ferric Cytochrome c in Different Environments: Electronic, Vibrational and Conformational Relaxation”, Chem. Phys. Chem., 2015, 16, 3974–3983.

• Solvation and Intramolecular Relaxation Dynamics
  • V. Karunakaran*, S. Das, “Direct Observation of Cascade of Photoinduced Ultrafast Intramolecular Charge Transfer Dynamics in Diphenyl Acetylene Derivatives: Via Solvation and Intramolecular Relaxation”, J. Phys. Chem. B., 2016, 120, 7016-7023.