The Chemical Instrumentation Laboratory in the Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has been established in the memory of my father, Shri Brijraj Chandra Mansingh.

The family of Mr. Mansingh wishes to thank the department of Chemistry and the Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations for their immeasurable help in the setting up of this Laboratory. This project involved a lot of hard work and dedication and it is very fulfilling to see this vision come to fruition.

My father retired as General Manager - Chemistry, Head of the Chemistry Division from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in 1993. He was a devoted lifelong student of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. He completed his post-graduation in Oil Chemistry and Petroleum Technology from Harcourt Butler Technical University (formerly HBTI) - Kanpur, in 1957 and was awarded the gold medal for topping his batch. Over his long and distinguished career at ONGC, from 1958 to 1993, he made several vital contributions to the growth and success of the Chemistry Division at ONGC.

He was very proud of his association with the field of Oil Chemistry and he was a highly regarded expert in the study and development of Oil chemicals and drilling fluids.

The four years that I spent at IIT Bombay have left me with indelible experiences and fond memories. And IITB has played a foundational role in shaping my professional career. I am humbled to be a part of the extended family of alumni that stay connected to our beloved institution and that are motivated to give back in so many different ways. And I am blessed to have this opportunity to honour the memory of my father, who encouraged and inspired me in everything I do.

I sincerely hope that this Laboratory can help the next generation of young and brilliant students … as they pursue their scientific curiosity and their passion for knowledge.

Sanjay Mansingh
(B. Tech, Electrical Engineering, Class '92)

The Department of Chemistry, IIT Bombay has grown, from the seed planted in 1965, into a premier center for advanced learning. The department has a faculty strength of 39 and offers Ph.D., M.Sc., and B.S programs. Over the years, the department has gained strength in both fundamental and applied aspects of chemistry, with emphasis on emerging areas like Green Chemistry, Biological Chemistry, Sustainable Chemical Practices and Chemistry of Materials. While the key focus of the department is on fundamental research, several research groups also interact regularly with industry and address problems related to chemical applications. The vibrant research atmosphere has attracted the crème-de-la-crème among students in Chemistry at all levels. As of now, we have more than 368 active Ph.D. students on roll, along with 105 M. Sc. and 128 B. S. students. In more recent times, we have become a popular destination for postdoctoral researchers as well, thanks to the attractive, highly competitive and prestigious Institute Postdoctoral fellowship (IPDF) and National Postdoctoral Fellowship (NPDF) of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB). The phenomenal research output of the department is manifested in the large number of research articles published every year in high impact, peer-reviewed journals. Faculty members serve as editors and members of editorial boards of prominent journals such as Chemical Science, WiRES, ACS Catalysis, Chemistry – A European Journal, Chemistry – An Asian Journal and more. Faculty members have also been recognized by several awards and fellowships, nationally as well as internationally. Students and postdoctoral fellows have gone on to become mature, independent researchers across the world.

Experiments facilities are most crucial for a research-intensive department like ours, which strives to ensure that the students are well-trained in the best practices of Chemistry and are capable not only of making new molecules and materials, but also of characterizing them precisely and devising applications thereof. Over the last couple of decades, the chemistry department at IITB has become well equipped with almost all instruments that are essential in a modern research-oriented center and students receive hands-on training on instruments such as 400 and 500 MHz NMR high-resolution mass spectrometers, chromatographs, bench-top AFM, scanning electron microscope (SEM), multi angle light scattering instrument (MALS), nanosecond, picosecond, and femtosecond laser spectroscopic setups and fluorescence microscopes capable of probing single molecules and particles, X-ray diffractometers, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectrometer and various other instruments.

While the list of existing equipment is impressive, there is a constant need for removal of obsolescence and upgradation of our arsenal with new equipment, in order to keep pace with the growing demand due to the ever-increasing student strength. This is where the newly founded Brijraj Chandra Mansingh Chemical Instrumentation Laboratory is set to play an important role. Built with a generous funding from Shri Sanjay Mansingh, this state of the art facility will cater to more than 1000 B. Tech, 200 BS/MSc and more than 350 Ph. D. students. It will be available for use of all students and researchers of the institute, through an online booking portal. It is envisioned that the facility will go a long way in encouraging undergraduate students, who undertake research projects under the guidance of faculty members of the department. The advanced and sophisticated instruments of the facility will enable students to conduct thought-provoking experiments and cutting-edge research, asking questions that were never asked before and thus pushing the frontiers of our understanding of Chemical Sciences.

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