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{{Short description|Indian photochemist (1928–2019)}}
{{Indian patronymic|George|Manapurathu Verghese}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = M. V. George
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|10|3|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Ashtamudi, [[Kollam district]], [[Travancore]], [[British India]]<br>(present-day Kerala, India)<ref name="M_V_George_obit">{{Cite journal | last1 =Das | first1 = Suresh | url =https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/118/02/0309.pdf | title =M. V. George (1928–2019) | journal = [[Current Science]]| volume = 118 | pages = 309–311 | year = 2020 | issue = 2 }}</ref>
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2019|12|09|1928|10|03}}<ref name="M_V_George_obit"/>
| death_place = [[Thiruvananthapuram]], Kerala, India
| residence =
| fields = {{ublist | [[Photochemistry]] | [[Chemical laser|Laser chemistry]] }}
| workplaces = {{ublist | [[Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur]] | [[National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology]] | [[University of Notre Dame]] }}
| alma_mater = {{ublist | [[Madras University]] | [[Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University]] | [[St. John's College, Agra]]}}
| doctoral_advisor = {{ublist | P. I. Ittyerah | [[Henry Gilman]] | [[Melvin Spencer Newman]] | [[Derek Barton]] | [[Rolf Huisgen]] }}
| doctoral_students = [[K. George Thomas]]
| known_for = Studies on mechanism of organic reactions
| awards = {{ublist | 1973 [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]] | 1985 C. V. Raman Award | 1990 [[Indian National Science Academy|INSA]] Professor T. R. Seshadri 70th Birthday Commemoration Medal | 1992 [[TWAS Prize]] | 2001 [[Chemical Research Society of India|CRSI]] Lifetime Achievement Gold Medal }}
}}

'''Manapurathu Verghese George''' (3 October 1928 - 9 December 2019) was an Indian [[Photochemistry|photochemist]] and an emeritus professor of the [[National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology]] (NIIST).<ref name="History">{{Cite web |url=http://www.niist.res.in/english/about-us/history |title=History |date=2016 |publisher=National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology |access-date=14 November 2016 |archive-date=15 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115131923/http://www.niist.res.in/english/about-us/history |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was known for establishing the Photochemistry Research Unit at NIIST and his studies on the mechanism of [[Reaction mechanism|organic reactions]].<ref name="Brief Profile of the Awardee">{{Cite web |url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/content/Detail.aspx?AID=459 |title=Brief Profile of the Awardee |date=2016 |publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize |access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref> He is a recipient of the 1992 TWAS Award<ref name="TWAS Award">{{Cite web |url=http://twas.org/recipients-twas-awards-and-prizes |title=TWAS Award |date=2016 |publisher=The World Academy of Sciences}}</ref> and an elected fellow of [[The World Academy of Sciences]],<ref name="TWAS fellow">{{Cite web |url=http://twas.org/member/george-manapurathu-v |title=TWAS fellow |date=2016 |publisher=The World Academy of Sciences |access-date=14 November 2016 |archive-date=14 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114234634/http://twas.org/member/george-manapurathu-v |url-status=dead }}</ref> the [[Indian National Science Academy]]<ref name="Indian fellow - Manapurathu Verghese George">{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/detail.php?id=N75-0259 |title=Indian fellow- Manapurathu Verghese George |date=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy |access-date=2017-10-22 |archive-date=15 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115070711/http://insaindia.res.in/detail.php?id=N75-0259 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the [[Indian Academy of Sciences]].<ref name="Fellow profile">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/George,_Prof._Manapurathu_Verghese |title=Fellow profile |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences |access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref> The [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]], the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology]], one of the highest Indian science awards, in 1973, for his contributions to chemical sciences.<ref name="View Bhatnagar Awardees">{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/AwardeeList.aspx | title=View Bhatnagar Awardees | publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize | date=2016 | accessdate=12 November 2016}}</ref>

== Biography ==
[[File:St. johns college, agra, uttar pradesh, India.JPG|thumb|235px|St. John's College, Agra]]
M. V. George, born on 3 October 1928 in the south Indian state of [[Kerala]], graduated in chemistry from [[University of Madras|Madras University]] in 1948 and moved to the [[Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University]] (then known as Agra University) from where he secured his master's degree in 1951.<ref name="Indian fellow - Manapurathu Verghese George" /> He did his doctoral studies at [[St. John's College, Agra]] of Agra University under the guidance of P. I. Ittyerah, a former principal of the college, and after securing PhD in 1954, he did his post-doctoral studies at various colleges in the US, UK, Germany and Canada.{{citation needed|date= September 2022}}

He returned to India in 1963 and started his career as a member of faculty at the [[Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur]].{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} He stayed at the institution for quarter of a century until 1988 during which period he headed the Department of Chemistry from 1966 to 1969, succeeding [[C. N. R. Rao]].<ref name="Past and present Heads of the Department">{{Cite web |url=http://www.iitk.ac.in/chm/history |title=Past and present Heads of the Department |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur}}</ref> Returning to his home state of Kerala in 1988, he joined the Regional Research Laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (present-day [[National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology]]) as an emeritus professor and served the institution until his superannuation from service. In between, he had various stints at the [[University of Notre Dame]] as a visiting professor during 1978–2001.<ref name="Indian fellow - Manapurathu Verghese George" />

== Legacy ==
The main focus of George's research was centered on the mechanical implications of the thermal and photochemical organic reactions.<ref name="Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners">{{cite web | url=http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ssb.pdf | title=Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners | publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | date=1999 | accessdate=5 October 2016 | pages=34 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043957/http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ssb.pdf | archive-date=4 March 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> His studies covered different areas of [[organometallic chemistry]] and he worked on [[electron transfer]] processes, [[organic reaction]]s and [[functional group]] transformations. Thus he studied the organic reactions and functional group transformations, heterohexa-1, 3, 5-triene systems with regard to its [[electrocyclic reaction]]s and the synthetic utility and [[phototransformation]]s of dibenzobarrelenes. He also studied the [[picosecond]] laser [[flash photolysis]] techniques and the transient intermediates involved in photoreactions.<ref name="Indian fellow - Manapurathu Verghese George" /> He was noted for the original approach in his studies of [[Heteroaromatic compound|hetero-aromatic]] systems.<ref name="Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners" />

George published his research through over 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals<ref name="Browse by Fellow">{{Cite web |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/view/fellows/George=3AManapurathu_Verghese=3A=3A.html |title=Browse by Fellow |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences}}</ref>{{Refn|group=note|Please see ''Selected bibliography'' section}} and guided a number of doctoral and post-doctoral scholars in their researches. He has contributed chapters to the ''Handbook of Chemistry and Physics'',<ref name="List of Books (authored or edited)">{{Cite web |url=http://www.jncasr.ac.in/cnrrao/publications.html |title=List of Books (authored or edited) |date=2016 |publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research}}</ref> edited by [[C. N. R. Rao]]<ref name="Handbook of Chemistry and Physics">{{Cite book |last1=M. V. |first1=George |title=Handbook of Chemistry and Physics |publisher=Van Nostrand Reinhold Inc |year=1971 |isbn=978-0442068202 |editor-last=Rao |editor-first=C. N. R. |page=367}}</ref> and his works have been cited by various authors in their publications.<ref name="Bryce-SmithGilbert1993">{{cite book|author1=D. Bryce-Smith|author2=A. Gilbert|title=Photochemistry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lP80kJogAVIC&pg=PA173|year=1993|publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry|isbn=978-0-85186-225-5|pages=173–}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Science of Synthesis: Houben-Weyl Methods of Molecular Transformations Vol. 18: Four Carbon-Heteroatom Bonds|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kh-GAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA307|date=14 May 2014|publisher=Georg Thieme Verlag|isbn=978-3-13-171911-9|pages=307–}}</ref> He pioneered photochemistry research at the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology and established the Photochemistry Research Unit at the institution.<ref name="History" /> He was a collaborator of C. N. R. Rao in popularizing science education at academic levels and is associated, as the executive director, with the ''Foundation for Capacity Building in Science (FCBS)'' initiative which promotes science education among Indian students through seminars and workshops.<ref name="Executive Director">{{Cite web |url=http://fcbs.org.in/about-us/trustees/ |title=Executive Director |date=2016 |publisher=Foundation for Capacity Building in Science |access-date=14 November 2016 |archive-date=15 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115132204/http://fcbs.org.in/about-us/trustees/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He also served as a member of the council of the Indian National Science Academy from 1989 to 1991.<ref name="Indian fellow - Manapurathu Verghese George" />

== Awards and honors ==
The Indian Academy of Sciences elected George as a fellow in 1973 before he became an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy in 1975.<ref name="Fellow profile" /> The [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] awarded him the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]], one of the highest Indian science awards, in 1973.<ref name="Chemical Sciences">{{cite web|url=http://www.csir.res.in/External/Heads/career/award/BPRIZE/CHEMICAL_SCIENCES.htm |title=Chemical Sciences |publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research |date=2016 |accessdate=7 November 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912012851/http://www.csir.res.in/external/heads/career/award/BPRIZE/CHEMICAL_SCIENCES.htm |archive-date=12 September 2012 }}</ref> He received the [[C. V. Raman]] Award in 1985 and the Professor [[T. R. Seshadri]] 70th Birthday Commemoration Medal of the Indian National Science Academy in 1990.<ref name="Professor T. R. Seshadri 70th Birthday Commemoration Medal">{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/recipients.php#ptr |title=Professor T. R. Seshadri 70th Birthday Commemoration Medal |date=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy |access-date=14 November 2016 |archive-date=16 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916233840/http://insaindia.res.in/recipients.php#ptr |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[The World Academy of Sciences]] awarded him the [[TWAS Prize]] in 1992<ref name="TWAS Award" /> and two years later, elected him as their fellow.<ref name="TWAS fellow" /> He is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the [[Chemical Research Society of India]] and a life member of the society.<ref name="Chemical Research Society of India Life Member">{{Cite web |date=2016 |title=Chemical Research Society of India Life Member |url=https://crsi-india.org/life-members/ |publisher=Chemical Research Society of India}}</ref>

== Selected bibliography ==
=== Books ===
* {{Cite book |title=Handbook of Chemistry and Physics |last1=M. V. |first1=George |publisher=Van Nostrand Reinhold Inc |year=1971 |isbn=978-0442068202 |editor-last=Rao |editor-first=C. N. R. |page=367}}

=== Articles ===
* {{Cite journal |author1=M. V. George |author2=Abijit Mitra |author3=Kutikat B. Sukumaran |title=Thermal and Photochemical Transformations of Hetero-1,3,5-hexatrienes into Five-Membered Rings—Possible Pericyclic Reactions |journal=[[Angewandte Chemie]] |date=December 1980 |volume=19 |issue=12 |pages=973–983 |doi=10.1002/anie.198009731}}
* {{Cite journal |author1=Suresh Das |author2=Kakkudiyil George Thomas |author3=Ayyappanpillai Ajayaghosh |author4=Prashant V Kamat |author5=B De La Barre |author6=Manapurathu Verghese George |title=Photophysics and Photochemistry of Squaraine Dyes 3 Excited State Properties and Poly 4 Vinylpyridine induced Fluorescence Enhancement of Bis 2 4 6 Trihydroxyphenyl Squaraine |journal=[[The Journal of Physical Chemistry A|Journal of Physical Chemistry]] |date=1992 |volume=96 |issue=25 |pages=10327–10330 |doi=10.1021/j100204a042}}
* {{Cite journal |author1=Suresh Das |author2=J S Dileep Kumar |author3=Kakkudiyil George Thomas |author4=K Shivaramayya |author5=Manapurathu Verghese George |title=Photocatalyzed Multiple Additions of Amines To Alpha Beta Unsaturated Esters and Nitriles Erratum To Document Cited in Ca120 298026 |journal=[[The Journal of Organic Chemistry]] |date=1995 |volume=60 |issue=15 |pages=4958 |doi=10.1021/jo00120a054}}
* {{Cite journal |author1=Danaboyina Ramaiah |author2=Abraham Joy |author3=Nese Chandrasekhar |author4=Nadukkudy V Eldho |author5=Suresh Das |author6=Manapurathu Verghese George |title=Halogenated Squaraine Dyes As Potential Photochemotherapeutic Agents. Synthesis And Study Of Photophysical Properties And Quantum Efficiencies Of Singlet Oxygen Generation |journal=[[Photochemistry and Photobiology]] |date=May 1997 |volume=65 |issue=5 |pages=783–790 |doi=10.1111/j.1751-1097.1997.tb01925.x |s2cid=96283947}}
* {{Cite journal |last=[[K. George Thomas|Kakkudiyil George Thomas]], V M Biju, Dirk M Guldi, Prashant V Kamat, Manapurathu Verghese George |title=Photoinduced Charge Separation and Stabilization in Clusters of A Fullerene Aniline Dyad |journal=[[Journal of Physical Chemistry B]] |date=1999 |volume=103 |issue=42 |pages=8864–8869 |doi=10.1021/jp9915679}}
* {{Cite journal |author1=V M Biju |author2=Pallikkara K Sudeep |author3=Kakkudiyil George Thomas |author4=Manapurathu Verghese George |author5=Said Barazzouk |author6=Prashant V Kamat |title=Clusters of Bis and Tris Fullerenes |journal=[[Langmuir (journal)|Langmuir]] |date=2002 |volume=18 |issue=5 |pages=1831–1839 |doi=10.1021/la011285b}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Manappurathu V. George |title=Contributions in organic functional group transformations and photochemical and photophysical studies of selective organic substrates |journal=Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. |date=August 2003 |volume=115 |issue=4 |pages=225–239 |doi=10.1007/BF02704214 |doi-access=free}}
* {{Cite journal |author1=Cherumuttathu H Suresh |author2=Danaboyina Ramaiah |author3=Manapurathu Verghese George |title=Rearrangement of 1 3 Dipolar Cycloadducts Derived From Bis Phenylazo Stilbene A Dft Level Mechanistic investigation |journal=Journal of Organic Chemistry |date=2007 |volume=72 |issue=2 |pages=367–375 |doi=10.1021/jo061707s|pmid=17221951 }}

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Henry Gilman]]
* [[Melvin Spencer Newman]]
* [[Derek Barton]]
* [[Rolf Huisgen]]
* [[C. N. R. Rao]]
* [[K. George Thomas]]
{{div col end}}
{{portal|India|Chemistry}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Cite web |url=http://acemap.sjtu.edu.cn/author/page?AuthorID=83CB4DB4 |title=Manapurathu Verghese George on Ace Map |date=2016 |publisher=Ace Map}}

{{SSBPST recipients in Chemical Science}}
{{Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Laureates of Kerala}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Manapurathu Verghese}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Chemical Science]]
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Scientists from Kerala]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Indian organic chemists]]
[[Category:Photochemists]]
[[Category:Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University alumni]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of IIT Kanpur]]
[[Category:University of Notre Dame faculty]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]]
[[Category:Fellows of The World Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:TWAS laureates]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian chemists]]

M. V. George - Revision history

Basavaraj at 12:00, 8 February 2026