Professor Susanta Lahiri, Chemical Sciences Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, received the Hevesy Medal Award 2015, on April 12 at the Tenth International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radio-analytical Chemistry for his outstanding contributions to heavy ion induced radioisotope production, tracer packet technique, converter targets, and green chemistry.
The other person to also win the award this year is Professor Kattesh V. Katti of the Cedntre for Radiological Research, University of Missouri, Columia.
This premier international award named after George de HEVESY, the 1943- Chemistry Nobel Laureate, for his work on the use of isotopes as tracers in the study of chemical processes, is given to “an individual in recognition of excellence through outstanding, sustained career achievements in the fields of pure as well as applied nuclear and radiochemistry, in particular applications to nuclear analytical chemistry."
Prof. Lahiri, also a professor at Homi Bhabha National Institute, published nearly 180 papers in peer-reviewed journals such as Physical Review. He is a co-creator of super heavy element 117 ( The Hindu , May 7, 2014)
In its tribute to Prof. Lahiri, the April 2015 issue of the CERN COURIER , an international journal of high-energy physics wrote: “Lahiri is recognised for a rich career during which he has developed and maintained active international collaborations with leading physics and chemistry institutes, including CERN, notably for the development of high-power targets in the EURISOL Design Study and the LIEBE test project at ISOLDE, and in research on radiopharmaceuticals and superheavy elements.”
According to Dr. K.L. Ramakumar, Director, Radiochemistry and Isotope Group, BARC, Prof. Lahiri’s association with research activities in radio-analytical chemistry has profound significance in terms of realising no-carrier added separation of high specific activity radiotracers for clinical applications.
“The single-minded dedication and unwavering self-belief borne out of sustained years of continuous research in the frontier areas of nuclear and radiochemistry contributed to his prowess and standing in the subject,” Ramakumar added.
But how and why did Lahiri take radio-analytical chemistry as his chosen field?
“I had a passion for nuclear science when I was studying for my MSc. and when I was selected in SINP for pursuing PhD degree. I met a wonderful supervisor, Prof. N.R. Das [and] that took me here,” he responded to this writer’s e-mail query.
Lahiri and his team made nano particles of gold by a low-cost technique that requires the least amount of chemicals. It is truly a green chemistry project.
In the process, they used minuscule amount of radioactivity which triggers radiolysis, which like a chain reaction, expands the radiolysis, and ultimately nano particles are formed.
Alchemists dreamt to convert lead cheaply into gold. Modern-day alchemists like Lahiri used multi-million- dollar-particle accelerators to produce trace amounts of mercury, thallium, lead, bismuth and polonium as carrier-free radio-nuclides by irradiating gold targets with certain lithium and carbon ions.
Lahiri and his co workers produced a “tracer packet” containing carrier-free radiotracers of manganese, copper, zinc gadolinium, germanium, arsenic and selenium for further studies of essential micro nutrient elements by irradiating thick cobalt foils in accelerators with specific isotopes oxygen, lithium and carbon ions.
Prof. Lahiri pointed out that except one study (which was carried out in CERN under our leadership) all others were done in India using the accelerator facilities at BARC-TIFR Pelletron and Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre.
K.S. PARTHASARATHY
Former Secretary, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
ksparth@yahoo.co.uk
