Thalappil Pradeep

In this Malayali name, the person is referred to by their given name, Pradeep, and not by their surname, Thalappil.

Thalappil Pradeep
Professor T. Pradeep in his laboratory 2015
Born (1963-07-08) 8 July 1963
Panthavoor, Kerala, India
Alma materCalicut University, IISc, UC Berkeley, Purdue University
AwardsRashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (2025),[1] ENI award (2023), VinFuture Prize (2022), Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (2022), Padma Shri (2020), Nikkei Asia Prize (2020), TWAS Prize (2018), Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (2008)
Scientific career
FieldsMolecular materials and surfaces
InstitutionsIndian Institute of Technology Madras
Websitepradeepresearch.org

Thalappil Pradeep[2] is an Indian chemist and Institute Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), where he holds the Deepak Parekh Institute Chair Professorship. His research focuses on molecular materials and surfaces, including nanomaterials, atomically precise metal nanoclusters, microdroplets and ice.

Pradeep is known for developing scalable, sustainable materials-based solutions for drinking-water purification that enable access to safe water. His work has enabled community-scale access to safe drinking water in affected regions. He received the ENI award (Advanced Environmental Solutions, 2023), the VinFuture Prize (Special Prize for Innovators from Developing Countries, 2022), and the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (Creativity Prize, 2022). In 2020 he received the Nikkei Asia Prize (Science and Technology) and the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours. He was awarded the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (Vigyan Shri) in 2025.


Early life

Pradeep was born on 8 July 1963, at Panthavoor, Kerala, India, to the late T. Narayanan Nair of the Thalappil house and P. P. Kunjilakshmi Amma of the Pulakkat Panampattavalappil house. Both his parents were school teachers. His father was a writer too, with the pen name N. N. Thalappil, who authored 14 books in Malayalam.

Pradeep was educated in government schools all through. From 5th to 10th, he was educated at the Govt. High School, Mookkuthala where his father taught Malayalam and mother taught social studies. The school was built by Padma Shri Pakaravoor Chitran Namboothiripad, who donated it to the Government at a token price of ₹ 1. Most of the days he walked the 4 km trip to the school, as most of his classmates. Later, he was educated at the MES College, Ponnani for his Pre Degree, St. Thomas College, Thrissur for his BSc and Farook College, Kozhikode for his MSc, all under Calicut University.

Academic career

T. Pradeep[3] earned a PhD degree in chemical physics working with Professors C. N. R. Rao[4] and M. S. Hegde at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore during 1986–91.[5]After completing his doctoral studies, he held research positions at the University of California, Berkeley and Purdue University, Indiana, and joined the faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras,[6] in 1993. He became an Institute Professor in 2015, the highest academic distinction at IIT Madras. At IIT Madras, he has built a research program around nanomaterials, molecular surfaces, and environmental technologies. He has also been associated with initiatives aimed at translating advanced materials research for societal applications, particularly in the area of in safe drinking water.

He held visiting positions at Purdue University,[7] Leiden University, in the Netherlands,[8] EPFL, Switzerland,[9] the Institute of Chemistry, Taiwan,[10] Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea[11] and the University of Hyogo, Japan.[12]

Research

A brief outline of his research themes is presented below:

Nanomaterials for clean water

Pradeep's work on nanomaterials has focused on removing contaminants - such as pesticides, arsenic, and uranium - from drinking water. He translated these research findings into products and deployed them in the field to provide safe drinking water at a population scale.

A critical problem in achieving this goal is the development of advanced and affordable materials with no or reduced environmental impact. Some of the materials and technologies he has developed over the years have been combined to make affordable all-inclusive point-of-use drinking water purifiers,[13] which are being installed in various parts of the country, both as a community plants and as domestic units. These advanced sand-like composites are made in the water at room temperature, with no environmental cost.[14][15] Gravity-fed water solutions using such materials without the use of electricity can make sustainable access to safe drinking water a reality.

Atomically precise clusters

His work has contributed to the synthesis, characterisation, and property evaluation of several atomically precise metal nanoclusters. These materials are model systems for understanding size-dependent properties at the nanoscale and have applications in catalysis, sensing, and photonics. An outcome of his work is the introduction of inter-cluster reactions between clusters,[16] which demonstrated that nanoparticles behave like simple molecules and stoichiometric reactions of the type, A + B → C + D, can be written for these processes, where A, B, C and D are nanoparticles. To describe the structure and properties of such clusters, his group has introduced a system of nomenclature for such systems in general.[17]

His group developed ultrasensitive detection platforms based on nanomaterials and clusters, enabling trace-level detection of chemical species relevant to environmental monitoring and security. He has demonstrated supramolecular functionalisation of clusters.[18] Such clusters help assemble 1D nanostructures, leading to precise 3D structures.[19]

Surface and ice chemistry

Pradeep has conducted studies on molecular interactions at surfaces, including low-energy ion–surface collisions and processes occurring on ice and thin films. To discover and understand such processes, especially at the very top of ice, he built the very first ultra-low energy (1-10 eV) ion scattering spectrometer, a new tool in extremely surface sensitive spectroscopy, working at cryogenic temperatures and ultra-high vacuum, as in space.[20] These investigations have provided insights into surface reactivity and molecular dynamics under controlled conditions. For example, his group discovered that clathrate hydrates can be formed even in space-like conditions.[21]

Microdroplets

He has pioneered the synthesis of nanomaterials using microdroplets. He has also shown that charged water microdroplets act as microreactors as they break even hard minerals like quartz and ruby to form nanoparticles.[22] In the early part of this work, he had shown the formation of nanoparticles from droplets.[23][24]

Drinking-water purification technologies - technology translation and societal impact

Pradeep’s research led to the development of nanomaterial-based water purification systems designed to remove contaminants such as arsenic and pesticides from groundwater. He emphasized translating laboratory discoveries into deployable technologies. These technologies were developed with an emphasis on affordability, scalability, and ease of deployment in resource-limited settings. Community-scale purification units based on these materials have been deployed in affected regions, contributing to improved access to safe drinking water. About 1.5 million of these filters have been sold in the market by 2016. IIT Madras received over Rs. 230 lakhs in royalties from this finding, the first of its kind in the Indian university system, in terms of royalty earnings and reach from a single patent. His work has supported the development of water purification solutions implemented through partnerships with governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry. These efforts aim to address water quality challenges in rural and underserved communities by providing reliable and low-maintenance purification systems. To support the development of water technologies by anyone interested in the area and implemented across the world, he has founded the International Centre for Clean Water.[25]

Honors and awards

Incubation

Seven companies have been incubated.

  • InnoNano Research Pvt. Ltd. (a start-up company at IIT Madras). Not operational currently.
  • Innodi Water Technologies Pvt. Ltd.[31] (incubated at IIT Madras Incubation Cell). InnoDI (inno-dee-eye) develops and builds Capacitive De-ionization (CDI) based water treatment systems for the Indian and international market and has established manufacturing facilities.
  • VayuJal Technologies Pvt. Ltd.[32] (incubated at IIT Madras Incubation Cell). Vayujal develops power-efficient atmospheric water generators.
  • AquEasy Innovations Pvt. Ltd. (incubated at IIT Madras Incubation Cell). AquEasy makes affordable, point-of-use drinking water purification technologies.
  • Hydromaterials Pvt. Ltd. (incubated at IIT Madras Incubation Cell). Hydromaterials uses new materials for clean water.
  • EyeNetAqa Pvt. Ltd. (incubated at ICCW). EyeNetAqa develops sensors for clean water.
  • DeepSpectrum Analytics Pvt. Ltd. (incubated at ICCW). DeepSpectrum develops data-based solutions for clean water.

Several patents have been licensed to other companies.

He has conceptualised and built state-of-the-art centres for advanced research and technology development. Thematic Unit of Excellence[33] was built for developing new technologies in the water sector.

To build such technologies with the participation of the global community, a new centre called the International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW)[25] was built at the IIT Madras Research Park.[34]

He has established the ANRF National Facility for Cryo-Electron Microscopy.[35]

Books

In English

1. Thalappil Pradeep (Ed.), Advances in Physical Chemistry, Allied Publishers, New Delhi, 1999.

2. Thalappil Pradeep, Nano: The Essentials - Understanding Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, 2007, currently 14 th reprint is on sale. (Low cost Indian edition) The book is a textbook in over 60 universities for advanced undergraduate and graduate programmes.

3. S. K. Das, S. U. S. Choi, W. Yu, T. Pradeep, Nanofluids Science and Technology, John Wiley, New York (2008). This is the first monograph introducing the topic.

4. Thalappil Pradeep, Nano: The Essentials Understanding Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, McGraw-Hill, April 2008. (International edition)

5. Thalappil Pradeep, Nano: The Essentials Understanding Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, in Japanese, Kyorisu Press, August 2011. (Japanese edition)

6. Thalappil Pradeep and others, A Textbook on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi 2012. This book is now a textbook in several universities for advanced nanoscience and nanotechnology courses.

7. David E. Reisner and Thalappil Pradeep (Eds.), Aquananotechnology: Global Prospects, CRC Press, New York, 2015.

8. Thalappil Pradeep (Ed.), Atomically precise metal nanoclusters, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2023.

9. Thalappil Pradeep and Krishnan Narayanan, Empowering India, Ideas for Action by Scientists and Engineers, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, 2023.

10. Ligy Philip, Thalappil Pradeep, B. S. Murty (Eds.) Technological Solutions for Water Sustainability: Challenges & Prospects - towards a water-secure India, IWA Publishing, London, 2023.

In Malayalam

  • 'Vipathinte Kalochakal', T. Pradeep, National Book Stall, Kottayam, 1990.
  • 'Aanava Prathisandhi' T. Pradeep and K. Vijayamohanan, DC Books, Kottayam, 1991.
  • Chapter in, "Anusakthi Aapathu", Ed. RVG Menon, Sugathakumari, 1991.
  • "Kunjukanangalku Vasantham Nanotechnologikku Oramukham", DC Books, Kottayam, 2007. This is based on a series of articles in Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly published during 2006–2007. (Won the Kerala Sahitya Academi Award of 2010)
  • Chapter in, Rasathanthram: Jeevithavum Bhavium (translated as Chemistry: Life and Future), Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, Trissur, 2011.

There are several popular science articles in English and Malayalam.

Recognition

Pradeep is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Academy of Engineering, The National Academy of Sciences, The Royal Society of Chemistry, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, The World Academy of Sciences, The African Academy of Sciences, Academia Europaea and The US National Academy of Engineering. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Research Award from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Indian Institute of Science.

Views on nanotechnology

Pradeep has been advocating the use of noble metal-based nanotechnology for purifying the environment.[36] As scientific understanding of the health effects of contaminants increases, it is likely that their allowed limits will be revised continuously. The contaminants levels are expected to reach molecular limits in the years to come. This implies that the technologies we use have to become molecule-specific and nanotechnology becomes the obvious choice. Such technologies have to combine with many others for a sustainable society.

References

  1. ^ "IIT Madras bags three national science awards". MSN. 29 October 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  2. ^ Thalappil, Pradeep. "IITM Chem Prof". IIT Madras.
  3. ^ "Profile of Professor T. Pradeep".
  4. ^ "C. N. R. Rao". Jncasr.ac.in. 30 June 1934. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore". Iisc.ernet.in. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Indian Institute of Technology Madras". Iitm.ac.in. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  7. ^ Purdue Marketing & Media, Purdue University. "Purdue University, Indiana". Purdue.edu. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  8. ^ "Leiden University, Netherlands". Leiden.edu. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  9. ^ "EPFL, Switzerland" (in French). Epfl.ch. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  10. ^ Institute of Chemistry, Taiwan Archived 24 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea". Postech.ac.kr. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  12. ^ "University of Hyogo, Japan". U-hyogo.ac.jp. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  13. ^ Sankar, M. U.; Aigal, S.; Maliyekkal, S. M.; Chaudhary, A.; Anshup; Kumar, A. A.; Chaudhari, K.; Pradeep, T. (2013). "Biopolymer-reinforced synthetic granular nanocomposites for affordable point-of-use water purification". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 110 (21): 8459–8464. Bibcode:2013PNAS..110.8459S. doi:10.1073/pnas.1220222110. PMC 3666696. PMID 23650396.
  14. ^ Mukherjee, Sritama; Kumar, Avula Anil; Sudhakar, Chennu; Kumar, Ramesh; Ahuja, Tripti; Mondal, Biswajit; Pillalamarri, Srikrishnarka; Philip, Ligy; Pradeep, Thalappil (2018). "Sustainable and affordable composites built using microstructures performing better than nanostructures for arsenic removal". ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 7 (3): 3222–3233. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b05157. S2CID 104350518.
  15. ^ Mukherjee, Sritama; Ramireddy, Haritha; Baidya, Avijit; Amala, A. K.; Sudhakar, Chennu; Mondal, Biswajit; Philip, Ligy; Pradeep, Thalappil (2020). "Nanocellulose reinforced organo-inorganic nanocomposite for synergistic and affordable defluoridation of water and an evaluation of its sustainability metrics". ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 8: 139–147. doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b04822. S2CID 210712701.
  16. ^ Krishnadas, K. R.; Ghosh, Atanu; Baksi, Ananya; Chakraborty, Indranath; Natarajan, Ganapati; Pradeep, Thalappil (2016). "Intercluster Reactions between Au25(SR)18 and Ag44(SR)30". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 138 (1): 140–148. doi:10.1021/jacs.5b09401. PMID 26677722.
  17. ^ Natarajan, Ganapati; Mathew, Ammu; Negishi, Yuichi; Whetten, Robert L.; Pradeep, Thalappil (2015). "A Unified Framework for Understanding the Structure and Modifications of Atomically Precise Monolayer Protected Gold Clusters". The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 119 (49): 27768–27785. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b08193.
  18. ^ Mathew, Ammu; Natarajan, Ganapati; Lehtovaara, Lauri; Häkkinen, Hannu; Kumar, Ravva Mahesh; Subramanian, Venkatesan; Jaleel, Abdul; Pradeep, Thalappil (2014). "Supramolecular Functionalization and Concomitant Enhancement in Properties of Au25 Clusters". ACS Nano. 8 (1): 139–152. doi:10.1021/nn406219x. PMID 24313537.
  19. ^ Som, Anirban; Chakraborty, Indranath; Maark, Tuhina Adit; Bhat, Shridevi; Pradeep, Thalappil (2016). "Cluster-Mediated Crossed Bilayer Precision Assemblies of 1D Nanowires". Advanced Materials. 28 (14): 2827–2833. Bibcode:2016AdM....28.2827S. doi:10.1002/adma.201505775. PMID 26861890. S2CID 35870553.
  20. ^ Bag, Soumabha; Bhuin, Radha Gobinda; Methikkalam, Rabin Rajan J.; Kephart, Luke; Walker, Jeff; Kuchta, Kevin; Martin, Dave; Wei, Jian; Pradeep, Thalappil (2014). "Development of ultralow energy (1-10 eV) ion scattering spectrometry coupled with reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption for the investigation of molecular solids". Rev. Sci. Instrum. 85: 014103. doi:10.1063/1.4848895.
  21. ^ Ghosh, Jyotirmoy; Methikkalam, Rabin Rajan J.; Bhuin, Radha Gobinda; Ragupathy, Gopi; Choudhary, Nilesh; Kumar, Rajnish; Pradeep, Thalappil (2019). "Clathrate hydrates in interstellar environment". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 116 (5): 1526–1531. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.1526G. doi:10.1073/pnas.1814293116. PMC 6358667. PMID 30630945.
  22. ^ Spoorthi, B.K.; Debnath, K.; Basuri, P.; Nagar, A.; Waghmare, U.V.; Pradeep, T. (2024). "Spontaneous Weathering of Natural Minerals in Charged Water Microdroplets Forms Nanomaterials". Science. 384: 1012–1037. doi:10.1126/science.adl3364.
  23. ^ Li, A.; Baird, Z.; Bag, S.; Sarkar, D.; Prabhath, A.; Pradeep, T.; Cooks, R.G. (2014). "Using Ambient Ion Beams to Write Nanostructured Patterns for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy". Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53: 12528–12531. doi:10.1002/anie.201406660.
  24. ^ Sarkar, Depanjan; Mahitha, Maheswari Kavirajan; Som, Anirban; Li, Anyin; Wleklinski, Michael; Cooks, Robert Graham; Pradeep, Thalappil (2016). "Metallic Nanobrushes Made using Ambient Droplet Sprays". Advanced Materials. 28 (11): 2223–2228. Bibcode:2016AdM....28.2223S. doi:10.1002/adma.201505127. PMID 26790107. S2CID 2132664.
  25. ^ a b "International Centre for Clean Water". iccw.world. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  26. ^ "National Academy of Engineering Elects 114 Members and 21 International Members".
  27. ^ "Eni Award: 2023 winners announced". Eni. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  28. ^ "Grab co-founders, clean water pioneer and museum curator honored". asia.nikkei.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  29. ^ "The Asian Scientist 100". Asian Scientist. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
  30. ^ "Winners of 2018 TWAS Prizes announced". TWAS. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  31. ^ "Home InnoDI Water Technologies Pvt. Ltd". innodi.in. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  32. ^ "VayuJal – Water from air – anytime, anywhere". vayujal.com. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  33. ^ "TUE".
  34. ^ "IITM Research park".
  35. ^ "ANRF National Facility for Cryo-Electron Microscopy".
  36. ^ Pradeep, T. (30 October 2009). "Noble metal nanoparticles for water purification: A critical review, T. Pradeep and Anshup, Invited critical review". Thin Solid Films. 517 (24): 6441–6478. doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2009.03.195.
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