Ajayan Vinu

Biography

Professor Ajayan Vinu is a Laureate Professor and the Director of the Global Innovative Center for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN) at the University of Newcastle. He is internationally known for his work on the advanced nanoporous materials with different functional elements prepared through innovative chemical approaches and their applications in carbon capture and conversion, energy storage and conversion, and catalysis. He discovered a series of novel nanoporous materials including world’s first nanoporous carbon nitrides, highly crystalline nanoporous fullerenes with different carbon atoms (C₆₀ and C₇₀, etc) and nanoporous biomolecules including cytochrome c.

Professor Vinu’s research achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious international awards, including the Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher recognition in 2024, JSPS Senior Invitational Fellow 2025, the Aether Industries Indian Chemical Society Centennial Jubilee Award 2025, the Asian Paints Padma Vibhushan Dr R A Mashelkar Medal (2023), Dr Ghanshyam Srivastava Memorial Award (2021), the Medal of the Chemical Research Society of India (2018), the KY NIEM CHUONG Award and Medal from the Vietnamese Academy of Sciences (2018), Scopus Young Researcher Award (2014), Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award from the Humboldt Society (2010), JSPS Senior Invitational Fellowship (2014), Australian Future Fellowship at the Professorial level (2010), the Catalysis Society of India Young Scientist Award (2010), the Chemical Society of Japan Award for the Young Scientist (2008), Laureate of the Khwarizmi International Award (2008), and the ICYS Fellowship.

He is a Fellow of several distinguished societies, including the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, UK), the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI), the World Academy of Ceramics (FWAC), the Asia-Pacific Academy of Materials (FAPAM) and the World Academy of Art and Science (FWAAS). Ajayan has authored ca 600 publications in high-impact journals, which have garnered approximately 44,800 citations, resulting in an h-index of 109. The commercial and innovative potential of his research is highlighted by his portfolio of 32 national and international patents on novel mesoporous carbon, silica, and carbon nitride materials.

He has delivered over 300 lectures, including 52 plenary talks and 37 keynote addresses at international conferences, and more than 210 invited talks at institutions in over 40 countries. Beyond research, he has organized numerous international conferences and workshops, including ICEAN in 2012, 2016, 2018, 2022, and 2024. These events have brought together highly cited scientists and Nobel Laureates.

RSC affiliations

• Advisory board, Sustainable Energy & Fuels

• Advisory Board, Energy Advances