Dr. Rakesh Kumar
Assistant Professor
Centre for Chemistry
School of Basic & Applied Sciences
Central University of Punjab
Bathinda- 151001
Email Id: rakesh14.chem@gmail.com
Mobile: +91-8054507941

1. Advanced Organic Chemistry
2. Spectroscopic Analysis
3. Organic Chemistry-III
4. Current Organic Synthesis
5. Recent Trends in Synthetic Strategies and Green Catalysis

• DST-Young Scientist Award under Fast Track Scheme.
• Qualified GATE-2006 with All India Rank 71 (98.4 Percentile)
• Dr. P.D. Sethi Award for Research Paper (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 2636) on Application of HPTLC/TLC in Pharma, Herbal, and Other Chemical Analysis.
• FWO-Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium.
• Qualified National Eligibility Test (CSIR-JRF) held in 2005.
• Authored numerous articles published in reputed international journals like Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (impact factor 12.96), Chem. Soc. Rev. (impact factor 42.85) etc.
• Reviewer of various journals: J. Org. Chem., J. Catal., ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng., Curr. Org. Synth. Tet. Lett. Synlett, Chem. Heterocycl. Compd. etc.
• Served as member of School Board for the School of Basic & Applied Sciences and Member of Board of Studies (BOS) of the Department of Chemistry

Total Publications: 27, h index = 18, i10= 20 (Source Google Scholar July 8, 2020)
Total impact factor = 150.76, Average impact Factor = 5.58
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Py94IjwAAAAJ&view_op=list_works

1. Kaur, P., Kumar, B., Gurjar, K. K., Kumar, R., Kumar V., & Kumar R. (2020). Metal-and solvent-free multicomponent decarboxylative A3-coupling for the synthesis of propargylamines: Experimental, computational and biological investigations, The Journal of Organic Chemistry,85(4), 2231-2241. (I.F. 4.34)
2. Kaur, P., Kumar, V., & Kumar R. (2020). Recent advances in decarboxylative C-C bond formation using direct or in situ generated alkenyl acids, Catalysis Reviews, 62(1), 118-161. (I.F. 11.39)
3. Kaur, P. & Kumar R. (2020). Recent advances in the C(1)-functionalization of tetrahydroisoquinolines via multicomponent reactions, Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds, 56, 422-432 (I.F. 1.52)
4. Kaur, P., Kumar, B., Kumar, V., & R. Kumar (2018), Chitosan-supported copper as an efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for A3/decarboxylative A3-coupling reaction. Tetrahedron Letters, 2018, 59, 1986-1991. (I.F. 2.28)
5. Kumar, R., & Van der Eycken, E. V. (2013). Recent approaches for C–C bond formation via direct dehydrative coupling strategies. Chemical Society Reviews, 42(3), 1121-1146. (I.F. 42.85)
6. Kumar, R., Shard, A., Bharti, R., Thopate, Y., & Sinha, A. K. (2012). Palladium‐catalyzed dehydrative Heck olefination of secondary aryl alcohols in ionic liquids: Towards a waste‐free strategy for tandem synthesis of stilbenoids. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 51(11), 2636-2639. (I.F. 12.96)
7. Sharma, U. K., Sharma, N., Kumar, R., Kumar, R., & Sinha, A. K. (2009). Biocatalytic promiscuity of lipase in chemoselective oxidation of aryl alcohols/acetates: A Unique synergism of CAL-B and [hmim] Br for the metal-free H2O2 activation. Organic Letters, 11(21), 4846-4848. (I.F. 6.09)
8. Sharma, A., Sharma, N., Kumar, R., Shard, A., & Sinha, A. K. (2010). Direct olefination of benzaldehydes into hydroxy functionalized oligo (p-phenylenevinylene)s via Pd-catalyzed heterodomino Knoevenagel-decarboxylation-Heck sequence and its application for fluoride sensing π-conjugated units. Chemical Communications, 46(19), 3283-3285. (I.F. 6.0)
9. Kumar, R., Ermolat’ev, D. S., & Van der Eycken, E. V. (2013). Synthesis of differentially substituted 2-aminoimidazolidines via a microwave-assisted tandem Staudinger/Aza-Wittig cyclization. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 78(11), 5737-5743. (I.F. 4.34)
10. Peshkov, A. A., Peshkov, V. A., Pereshivko, O. P., Van Hecke, K., Kumar, R., & Van der Eycken, E. V. (2015). Heck-Suzuki tandem reaction for the synthesis of 3-benzazepines. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 80, 6598-6608. (I.F. 4.34)
11. Sharma, A., Sharma, N., Kumar, R., Sharma, U. K., & Sinha, A. K. (2009). Water promoted cascade rearrangement approach towards α-aryl aldehydes from arylalkenes using N-halosuccinimides: An avenue for asymmetric oxidation using phase transfer cinchona organocatalysis. Chemical Communications, 5299-301. (I.F. 6.0)
12. Kumar, R., Mohanakrishnan, D., Sharma, A., Kaushik, N. K., Kalia, K., Sinha, A. K., & Sahal, D. (2010). Reinvestigation of structure–activity relationship of methoxylated chalcones as antimalarials: Synthesis and evaluation of 2, 4, 5-trimethoxy substituted patterns as lead candidates derived from abundantly available natural β-asarone. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 45(11), 5292-5301. (I.F. 5.57)
13. Sharma, A., Kumar, R., Sharma, N., Kumar, V., & Sinha, A. K. (2008). Unique versatility of ionic liquids as clean decarboxylation catalyst cum solvent: A metal‐and quinoline‐free paradigm towards synthesis of indoles, styrenes, stilbenes and arene derivatives under microwave irradiation in aqueous conditions. Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, 350(18), 2910-2920. (I.F. 5.45)
14. Sharma, N., Sharma, U. K., Kumar, R., Katoch, N., Kumar, R., & Sinha, A. K. (2011). First bovine serum albumin‐promoted synthesis of enones, cinnamic acids and coumarins in ionic liquid: An insight into the role of protein impurities in porcine pancreas lipase for olefinic bond formation. Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, 353(6), 871-878. (I.F. 5.85)
15. Sharma, N., Sharma, A., Shard, A., Kumar, R., Malik, S., & Sinha, A. K. (2011). Pd-catalyzed orthogonal Knoevenagel/Perkin condensation-decarboxylation-Heck/Suzuki sequences: Tandem transformations of benzaldehydes into hydroxy functionalized antidiabetic stilbene-cinnamoyl hybrids and unsymmetrical distyrylbenzenes. Chemistry-A European Journal, 17(37), 10350-10356. (I.F. 4.86)
16. Sharma, A., Sharma, N., Shard, A., Kumar, R., Mohanakrishnan, D., Sinha, A. K., & Sahal, D. (2011). Tandem allylic oxidation–condensation/esterification catalyzed by silica gel: an expeditious approach towards antimalarial diaryldienones and enones from natural methoxylated phenylpropenes. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 9(14), 5211-5219. (I.F. 3.41)
17. Kumar, R., Sharma, A., Sharma, N., Kumar, V., & Sinha, A. K. (2008). Neutral ionic liquid [hmim] Br as a green reagent and solvent for the mild and efficient dehydration of benzyl alcohols into (E)‐Arylalkenes under microwave irradiation. European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2008(33), 5577-5582. (I.F. 2.89)
18. Sharma, N., Sharma, A., Kumar, R., Shard, A., & Sinha, A. K. (2010). One‐pot two‐step oxidative cleavage of 1, 2‐arylalkenes to aryl ketones instead of arylaldehydes in an aqueous medium: A complementary approach to ozonolysis. European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2010(31), 6025-6032. (I.F. 2.89)
19. Kumar, R., Sharma, N., Sharma, N., Sharma, A., & Sinha, A. K. (2011). Metal-free activation of H2O2 by synergic effect of ionic liquid and microwave: Chemoselective oxidation of benzylic alcohols to carbonyls and unexpected formation of anthraquinone in aqueous condition. Molecular Diversity, 15(3), 687-695. (I.F. 2.01)
20. Kumar, R., Sharma, P., Shard, A., Tewary, D. K., Nadda, G., & Sinha, A. K. (2012). Chalcones as promising pesticidal agents against diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella): Microwave-assisted synthesis and structure–activity relationship. Medicinal Chemistry Research, 21(6), 922-931. (I.F. 1.78)
21. Sharma, U. K., Sood, S., Sharma, N., Rahi, P., Kumar, R., Sinha, A. K., & Gulati, A. (2013). Synthesis and SAR investigation of natural phenylpropene-derived methoxylated cinnamaldehydes and their novel Schiff bases as potent antimicrobial and antioxidant agents. Medicinal Chemistry Research, 22(11), 5129-5140.(I.F. 1.78)
22. Bhardwaj, A., Kumar Tewary, D., Kumar, R., Kumar, V., Kumar Sinha, A., & Shanker, A. (2010). Larvicidal and structure–activity studies of natural phenylpropanoids and their semisynthetic derivatives against the tobacco armyworm Spodoptera litura (Fab.)(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Chemistry & Biodiversity, 7(1), 168-177. (I.F. 2.04)
23. Sharma, U. K., Sharma, N., Salwan, R., Kumar, R., Kasana, R. C., & Sinha, A. K. (2012). Efficient synthesis of hydroxystyrenes via biocatalytic decarboxylation/deacetylation of substituted cinnamic acids by newly isolated Pantoea agglomerans strains. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 92(3), 610-617. (I.F. 2.61)
24. Sinha, A. K., Sharma, N., Shard, A., Sharma, A., Kumar, R., & Sharma, U. K. (2009). Green methodologies in synthesis and natural product chemistry of phenolic compounds. Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B, 48(12), 1771. (I.F. 0.39)
25. Sinha, A. K., Kumar, V., Sharma, A., Sharma, A., & Kumar, R. (2007). An unusual, mild and convenient one-pot two-step access to (E)-stilbenes from hydroxy-substituted benzaldehydes and phenylacetic acids under microwave activation: A new facet of the classical Perkin reaction. Tetrahedron, 63(45), 11070-11077. (I.F. 2.23)
26. Kumar, B., Kumar, R., Skvortsova, I., & Kumar, V. (2017). Mechanisms of Tubulin Binding Ligands to Target Cancer Cells: Updates on Their Therapeutic Potential and Clinical Trials. Current Cancer Drug Targets, 17(4), 357-375. (I.F. 2.91)
27. Neha, Dwivedi, A. R., Kumar, R., & Kumar, V. (2018). Recent Synthetic Strategies for Monocyclic Azole Nucleus and its Role in Drug Discovery and Development. Current Organic Synthesis, 15(3), 321-340. (I.F. 1.98)

• Sinha, A. K. Kumar, R. Sharma, A. & Sharma N. One pot multicomponent synthesis of some novel hydroxy stilbene derivatives with alpha, beta-carbonyl conjugation under microwave irradiation. US US8716532B2.
• Sinha, A. K. Sharma, A. Kumar, R. & Sharma N. Microwave induced single step green synthesis of some novel 2-aryl aldehydes and their analogues. US8779200B2.

1. R. Kumar, B. Kumar, P. Kaur, “Chitosan-supported copper as an efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for waste-free A3 coupling” International conference on Current Trends in Drug Discovery and Research, CSIR-CDRI Lucknow; February 25-28, 2016
2. R. Kumar, P. Kaur, “A green and recyclable chitosan supported catalyst for A3-coupling and decarboxylative A3-coupling” Contemporary Facets in Organic Synthesis (CFOS), IIT Roorkee, December 22-24, 2017
3. R. Kumar, “Green Chemistry: Emerging Trends in Organic Synthesis” Motivational Contact Programme for Talented School Students of Punjab, State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST) & CUP Bathinda  September 14-18, 2015
4. R. Kumar, D. Ermolat’ev, E. Van der Eycken, “Microwave-assisted intramolecular Staudinger/aza-Wittig reaction: A new approach to 2-aminoimidazolidines” 16th Sigma Aldrich Organic Synthesis Meeting, 2012, Spa, Belgium.
5. R. Kumar, D. Ermolat’ev, E. Van der Eycken, “A novel approach to cyclic guanidines (2-aminoimidazolidines)”, 13th Belgian Organic Synthesis Symposium (BOSS-XIII) held on 15-20th July, 2012 at Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium. (Member of the organising team and poster presentation).
6. R. Kumar, N. Sharma, A. Sharma, A. K. Sinha. “Green synthesis of bioactive compounds using ionic liquids and microwave”, National Seminar on Chemistry Biology Interface: Recent trends held on November 21-26, 2010, Ranikhet, Almora, India.
7. R. Kumar, A. Sharma, N. Sharma, V. Kumar, A. K. Sinha. “A green microwave induced decarboxylation of indole and nitro aryl substituted carboxylic acid”, 12th International ISCBC conference on the Interface of Chemistry and Biology (Feb. 22-24, 2008) at Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India.
8. 2nd National Symposium on Analytical Sciences (NSAS) on “Analytical innovations for Process and Technology Development” (Nov. 23-25, 2008) at Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur, India. (Member of the organising team)
9. 3rd International Conference on “Council of Surface Science and Catalysis” (Dec. 8-9, 2003) at Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, M.D.S. University, Ajmer, India.

As a team leader (poster presentation by PhD Students):

10. “A recyclable chitosan supported copper catalyst for synthesis of propargylamines via multicomponent coupling” 9th National Conference on Recent Advances in Chemical, Biological & Environmental Sciences (RACES-2018), M. M. Modi College, Patiala, February 09-10, 2018.
11. “A green and recyclable chitosan supported catalyst for A3-coupling and decarboxylative A3-coupling” ACS on CAMPUS, India Road Show, IISER Mohali, 9th February, 2018.
12. “Biopolymer supported recyclable catalysts for the synthesis of bioactive propargylamines and imidazopyridines via multicomponent reactions” International conference-cum workshop on Informatics Tools in Drug Discovery and Drug Delivery, Punjabi University, Patiala, November 1-4, 2018.
13. “Green access towards multicomponent synthesis of propargylamines via simultaneous C-C and C-N bond formation” International Conference on Chemical Constellation Cheminar-2019 (C3-2019), Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, October 12-13, 2019.

PhD Students:
Ms. Pavneet Kaur (DST-INSPIRE Fellow) is working on her thesis entitled “Green Methodologies for C-C and C-N Bond Formation Using Transition Metal Catalysis and Multicomponent Reactions”

MSc Students:
2020
Soni Kumar, Archana, Sahil Jindal, Niaz Ahmed, Manisha, Ayushi Gupta, Diptimayee Rout, Hitesh Mallick       
2019
Yashika Thakur, Jagdish Chandra Jat, Pragya Gaur, Pavitra Yadav, Rumandeep Kaur, Priyanka Kumari,
2018
Ram Singh Jat, Sonali Gohit, Nikhil Mehar, Rohtash Kumar
2017
Shivani Rani, Kushal Kumar, Poornima Kamboj

Organic Synthesis/Green Chemistry:

Design and development of novel and environmental friendly methodologies for commercially important and biologically active molecules (Direct C-H bond activation/functionalization strategies, Ionic liquids, Microwave-assisted organic synthesis, Multi-component reactions (MCRs), Heterogeneous catalysis etc.). Use of abundantly available and stable surrogates in coupling reactions, Organometallic complexes and their applications in organic synthesis, Economical synthesis/semi-synthesis of various bioactive molecules. Mechanistic studies for reaction pathways.

Multicomponent decarboxylative A3-coupling for the synthesis of propargylamines:

Chitosan-supported copper catalyst (chit@CuI) for the A3-coupling

Decarboxylative C-C bond formation using direct or in situ generated alkenyl acids

Dehydrative heck olefination of secondary aryl alcohols in ionic liquids for tandem synthesis of stilbenoids