• "The search for renewable and clean energy sources is one of the most important challenges of the century. One of the promising approaches to circumvent the current energy crisis is to mimic nature and develop a system for artificial photosynthesis (that contain a terminal Mn(V)=O) that converts water into oxygen. In addition, other metalloenzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase, Methane monooxygenase, Ribonucleotide Reductase etc.) containing metals in the higher oxidation state, have been employed by nature for the efficient chemical transformations. Our group strives to imitate such high valent metal species (including 3d and 4d) through spectroscopic characterization, in order to get a mechanistic understanding of the crucial processes.

• Developing artificial metalloenzymes to catalyze abiological reactions has been a major endeavor for many years, but most of the times the observed rate of the synthetic mimics are lower than those of metalloenzymes, making them unsuitable for practical applications. A critical step to advance the field is to fundamentally understand what it takes to not only support the high valent metal species but also modulate the reactivities of those artificial synthetic mimics. This can be achieved by making the alterations within the ligand framework supporting the metal center in functional and structural mimetics. Hence, we employ a variety of redox active (Salens, amidate, oxazolines, BDA to name a few) and inactive ligands to modulate synthetic mimics activity to rival (or surpass!) natural enzymes.”

• “Formation and Reactivity of a Fleeting Ni^III Bisphenoxyl Diradical Species” A. Awasthi, I. F. Leach, S. Engbers, R. Kumar, R. Eerlapally, S. Gupta, J. E. M. N. Klein, Draksharapu,* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2022, 61, e2022113.

• “Spectroscopic characterization of a Ru(III)-OCl intermediate: a structural mimic of haloperoxidase enzymes” R. Kumar, A. Awasthi, S. Gupta R. Eerlapally, Draksharapu,* Dalton Trans., 2022, 51, 12848.

• “Unmasking Steps in Intramolecular Aromatic Hydroxylation by a Synthetic Nonheme Oxoiron(IV) Complex” Y. Sheng, C. S. Abelson, J. Prakash, Draksharapu, V. G. Young, Jr., L. Que, Jr., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 20991.

• “Ce^IV- and HClO₄-Promoted Assembly of an Fe₂^IV(µ-O)₂ Diamond Core from its Monomeric Fe^IV=O Precursor at Room Temperature” Draksharapu, S. Xu, L. Que, Jr., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2020, 59, 22484.

• “Sc³⁺-assisted O–O bond cleavage of a peroxodiiron(III) species from an iron(II) precursor and O₂ to form a complex with an Fe^IV₂O₂ core” S. Banerjee, Draksharapu, P. M. Crossland, R. Fan, Y. Guo, M. Swart, L. Que, Jr., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 4285.

• “Acid pK_a Dependence in O–O Bond Heterolysis of a Nonheme Fe^III–OOH Intermediate to Form a Potent Fe^V=O Oxidant with Heme Compound I-Like Reactivity” S. Xu, Draksharapu, W. Rasheed, L. Que, Jr. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019, 141, 16093.

• ‘‘A non-heme iron photocatalyst for light driven aerobic oxidation of methanol’’ J. Chen, S. Stepanovic, Draksharapu,* M. Gruden, W. R. Browne, Angew. Chemie., Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 3207.

• ‘‘Crystallographic evidence for a sterically induced ferryl tilt in a non-heme oxoiron(IV) complex that makes it a better oxidant’’ W. Rasheed, Draksharapu, S. Banerjee, V. G. Young, Jr., R. Fan, Y. Guo, M. Ozerov, J. Nehrkorn, J. Krzystek, J. Telser, L. Que, Jr., Angew. Chemie., Int. Ed., 2018, 57, 9387.

• ‘‘Activation of an Fe^III-OOH intermediate by Sc³⁺ in the nonheme iron-catalyzed hydroxylation of cyclohexane and benzene’’ S. Kal, Draksharapu, L. Que, Jr., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140, 5798.

• ‘‘Facile and Reversible Formation of Iron(III)–Oxo–Cerium(IV) Adducts from Nonheme Oxoiron(IV) Complexes and Cerium(III)’’ Draksharapu, W. Rasheed, J. E. M. N. Klein, L. Que, Jr., Angew. Chemie., Int. Ed., 2017, 56, 9091.

• ‘‘Rapid hydrogen and oxygen atom transfer by a high-valent nickel-oxygen’’ Corona, Draksharapu, S. K. Padamati, I. Gamba, V. M. -Diaconescu, F. Acuña-Parés, W. R. Browne, A. Company, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016, 138, 12987.

• ‘‘Identification and Spectroscopic Characterization of Nonheme Iron(III) Hypochlorite Intermediates’’ Draksharapu, D. Angelone, M. G. Quesne, S. K. Padamati, L. Gómez, M. Costas, W. R. Browne, S. P. de Visser, Angew. Chemie., Int. Ed., 2015, 54, 4357.

1. Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry,
   Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, since Nov 2018
2. NIH Post-Doctoral Fellow (with Prof. Lawrence Que, Jr.)
   Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, USA. July 2015 - Nov 2018
3. Post-Doctoral Fellow funded by Catch Bio (with Prof. Wesley R. Browne)
   Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Apr 2014- Jun 2015

Primary teaching area would be "Inorganic Chemistry"

Office

SL-208A, Southern Laboratories,
Department of Chemistry
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur,
Kanpur 208016

Office Phone: 0512-259-2059
Lab Office Phone: 0512-259-7708

Email: appud[AT]iitk.ac.in