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This special issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology focuses on the photosciences in India, featuring contributions from photoscientists in India as well as collaborators from Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, and the United States. The issue includes 20 research articles, 4 reviews, and 1 highlight article, covering a wide range of topics such as dye-sensitized solar cells, fluorescence, photocatalysis, and DNA damage. The articles reflect the growth and potential of the photosciences in India and aim to inspire the next generation of researchers in this field. The editors express their gratitude to the authors and the Editor-in-Chief for their cooperation and hope to explore similar themes in future issues. [Extracted from the article]

Emerging technologies like nanotechnologies are governed in different ways around the world. This article draws attention to an important element that can help to explain the emergence of this diversity in governance practices: the role of nanotechnology in nation-building. By investigating the relation between nanotechnology and the nation in India, the article demonstrates that various particularities of the Indian governance of nanotechnology can be explained by the relation between science, technology, and nation-building. The article discusses four instances in which the governance of nanotechnology in India is informed by the role science and technology has in nation-building: the historical image of India as a country that can attain modernity and development by engaging with modern science and technology supported the government's decision to free funds for nanotechnology research; the view of India as a country that cannot rely on foreign assistance to get access to the latest technologies reinforced the strategy to pro-actively pursue nanotechnology research and development itself; the historical use of science and technology as crucial elements in overcoming deeply rooted societal divisions enabled the science-centered way in which nanotechnology was governed; and the Indian ambition to become a global superpower informed the governance of nanotechnology as an object of international competition. The governance of nanotechnology in turn defines 'Indianness' in a post-liberalization world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a scientometric study of 834 articles on Carbon nanotube research in India spanning over the years 1999 to 2012 downloaded from Web of Science. The study analyses literature growth trends, which shows an initiation of potential growth of research in this subject since 2008. It also examines collaborations with different countries. The authorship pattern, document types involved and active Indian institutions co-coordinating research in this subject have also been studied. Bradford law of scattering was applied to identify the core journals and Lotka's law to study the authors' productivity pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

dvances in supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering reported from India within the last decade are highlighted in the categories of new intermolecular interactions, designed supramolecular architectures, network structures, multi-component host-guest systems, cocrystals, and polymorphs. Understanding self-assembly and crystallization through X-ray crystal structures is illustrated by two important prototypes — the large unit cell of elusive saccharin hydrate, Na(sac) · 30HO, which contains regular and irregular domains in the same structure, and by the Aufbau build up of zinc phosphate framework structures, e.g. ladder motif in [CNH][Zn(HPO)] to layer structure in [CNH][Zn(HPO)] upon prolonged hydrothermal conditions. The pivotal role of accurate X-ray diffraction in supramolecular and structural studies is evident in many examples. Application of the bottomup approach to make powerful NLO and magnetic materials, design of efficient organogelators, and crystallization of novel pharmaceutical polymorphs and cocrystals show possible future directions for interdisciplinary research in chemistry with materials and pharmaceutical scientists. This article traces the evolution of supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering starting from the early nineties and projects a center stage for chemistry in the natural sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to highlight quantitatively the growth and development of Indian research in the field of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in terms of publication output as per Science Citation Index (1982-2008). The whole database contains 296072 records on the subject and among them USA topped the list with 84561 (28.56 per cent) followed by, China with 43393 (14.66 per cent) publications, Japan with 32431 (10.95 per cent) publications, Germany with 28065 (9.48 per cent) publications, France with 18141 (6.13 per cent) publications, and England with 13850 (4.68 per cent) publications. During 1982-2008, a total of 8326 (2.81 per cent) papers were published by the Indian scientists in the field. The yearly average number of documents published was 308.37. The highest numbers of publications (1890) were published in 2008. The premier Indian institutes engaged in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology research were: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangaluru with 723 publications followed by IIT Kharagpur with 606 publications; National Chemical Laboratories (NCL), Pune with 589 publications; Indian Association for the Cultivation of science (IACS), Kolkata with 563 publications; and BARC, Mumbai with 434 publications. Major portion of the publications (96.36 per cent) were written in collaboration with more than one authors. India had collaboration with 67 other countries in the field. C.N.R. Rao, M. Sastry and S. Chaudhuri were the three leading researchers in the field. Researchers from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore had most number of collaborative publications. When collaboration among institutes situated in different Indian cities was taken into consideration, Bangaluru and Kolkata were found to have the highest number of collaborative publications. Karnataka and West Bengal, the parent states of these cities were the states with the most collaborative publications in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology research. USA, Germany, and Japan had more number of collaborative publications with India. The most preferred journals for publishing the articles by the scientists were: Journal of Applied Physics (293), Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (285), Applied Physics Letters (243), Materials Letters (232), Physical Review B (232), Nanotechnology (194), and Langmuir (182). The highly occurred keywords in SCI records were: Nanoparticles (1244); Particles (756); Films (589); Growth (513); Nanocrystals (501); Thin-Films (484); Nanostructures (427); Optical-Properties (410); Nanocomposites (401); etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A national facility for neutron beam research is operated at the research reactor Dhruva at Trombay in India. The research activities involve various nanoscale structural, dynamical and magnetic investigations on materials of scientific interest and technological importance. Thermal neutron has certain special properties that enable, e.g., selective viewing of parts of an organic molecule, hydrogen or water in materials, investigations on minerals and ceramics, and microscopic and mesoscopic characterization of bulk samples. The national facility comprises of eight neutron-scattering spectrometers in the reactor hall, and another four spectrometers in the neutron-guide laboratory. In addition, a neutron radiography facility and a detector development laboratory are located at APSARA reactor. All the instruments including the detectors and electronics have been developed within BARC. A new powder diffractometer (PD-3) is being developed by UGC-DAE-CSR. The national facility is utilized in collaboration with various universities and other institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article report on the research was conducted by Sadasivam Senthilkumaar of the PSG College Technology to evaluate the significance of nano coating to textile industry in India. Because of the growing concern of health and hygiene, the industry is looking for ways to address the issue. Researchers use nano coating in their experiment because it has the ultraviolet (UV) blocking capacity, water repellency and better tensile strength. Results shows that silver nitrate (Ag-ZnO) nano solution coating was found to exhibit comparatively better properties than other three semiconductor nano solutions.

No abstract received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information regarding symposiums including the National Symposium on Biopharmaceuticals to be held at Coimbatore on the 4th and 5th of august, 2011and the National Symposium on Nanoscience and Technology to be held at Muvattupuzha on the 1st and 2nd of September, 2011.

Information about the National Review and Coordination Meeting on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology held in Hyderabad, India In October 2007 is presented. The meeting was organized by the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI). It brings the major research groups in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. It was participated by students and young researchers, and about 115 other participants. Manuscripts were also submitted during the meeting.

The article reports that the Department of Science and Technology has launched a national initiative on nanoscience and technology in India. The program is chaired by C. N. R. Rao. As part of the program , an International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology was initiated to tackle issues and concerns over the field of nanoscience. A special public awareness program was also included in the conference.