Biography
Krishnaswami Venkataraman, Indian organic chemist (Chennai 07 June 1901 – New Delhi 12 May 1981)
Authored 271 papers
Authored a classical treatise on chemistry of dyes and dye intermediates named The Chemistry of Synthetic Dyes in eight-volume (1-2 in 1952 and 3-8 in 1978) translated into 14 foreign languages such as Russian
Authored Analytical Chemistry of Synthetic Dyes (1977) both of which earned him international acclaim and are standard monographs in this field till to date
Discovered Baker-Venkataraman transformation or rearrangement
With H.S. Mahal. A synthesis of flavones at room temperature. Curr. Sci. 2:214, 1933
With H.S. Mahal. Synthetical experiments in the chromone group. XIV. Action of sodamide on 1-acyloxy-2-acetonaphthones. J. Chem. Soc. 1767-9, 1934
Isolated flavonoids from plant sources and elucidated their structures
Demonstrated the presence of nitrogen in some lac pigments
Isolated and characterized a number of natural pigments belonging to anthraquinonoid group (e.g. laccaic acids A and B)
Isolated and elucidated structurally naturally occurring flavones, isoflavones, naphthoquinones and Lac pigments such as cyclointegrin (Artocarpus integer) and morellin (Garcinia morella)
Isolated artocarpanone from Artocarpus heterophyllus
Studied anthraquinoid insect pigments
Established the pattern of substitution in flavones and isoflavones
Developed methods for selective demethylation of methoxy flavonoids under mild Lewis acid conditions, for introduction of hydroxyl groups in oxygen heterocycles involving nitration or azocoupling, replacement of nuclear OH by through tosylation followed by Raney nickel hydrogenolysis and many more such procedures
Developed several new synthetic procedures, chromatographic separation techniques and simple and practical methods for the characterization and estimation of dyes
Developed a method for the facile hydrolysis of the anilides of o-hydroxy carboxylic acids
Demonstrated the deshielding effect of azogroup of azodyes in their nuclear magnetic resonance spectra
Developed new textile auxiliary agents for industrial use
Developed column chromatographic technique under hot conditions (100-150° C) for study of dyes
Developed some simple methods for the analysis and estimation of dyes and related compounds (e.g. introduced Congo Rubine Number to determine the protective colloidal action of surface active compounds and discovered that naphthols could be estimated by precipitating them by acidifying their alkaline solution in water or aqueous alcohol and weighing their precipitate)
Developed a synthesis of isoflavones from o-hydroxy-desoxybenzoins under very mild conditions
Developed a method for N-alkylation
With G.N. Kao & B.D. Tilak. Raney nickel reductions. Part IV. Alkylation of amines with alcohols in the presence of Raney nickel. J. Sci. Ind. Res. 14B:624, 1955
Developed a general method for the reduction of quinones
With N.B. Desai & V. Ramanathan. Raney nickel reductions. Part V. A general method for the reduction of quinones to the corresponding hydrocarbon derivatives. J. Sci. Ind. Res. 14B:330, 1955
With R.B. Forster & S.M. Kaji. A rapid method for the estimation of reducing power in cotton. J. Chem. Soc. Ind. 57:310, 1938
With R.B. Forster & I.S. Uppal. Wetting agentes in textile processing. Part II. A modified herbing apparatus. J. Soc. Dyers Colorists 54:465, 1938
With V.R. Sathe. A new reaction for the synthesis of chromones and isoflavones. Curr. Sci. 18:373, 1950
With V. Ramanathan. A new method for the preparation of resorcyclic acid (2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid). Curr. Sci. 21:283, 1952
New methods for the synthesis of naturally occurring anthraquinones. J. Ind. Chem. Soc. 37:247, 1960
With D.S. Bapat, B.C. Subba Rao & M.K. Unni. The action of diboranes and of sodium, borohydride boron triofluoride etherate and anthraquinones. A new synthesis of aloe-enodin and citreorosein and a general method for the reduction of anthraquinones to anthracene derivatives. Tetrahedron Lett. 5:15, 1960
Methods for determining the structure of flavonoid compounds. Chem. Flavonoid Compounds (1962)
Papers in Nature
With S.K. Munshi & B.D. Tilak. Ammonium salts of sulphanilamides and sulphonic acids. Nature 165:55, 1948
With T.S. Gore & T.B. Panse. Citrinin. Nature 157:333, 1945
With W. Karrer. Identity of calycoprotein and thapsin. Nature 135:878, 1935
HONOURS
Honorary Doctor Science, Mendeleev Institute of Chemical Technology
Elected Fellow, Polish Academy of Sciences
Honorary Member, Society of Dyers and Colourists, United Kingdom
