National Chemical Laboratory

National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, established in 1950, is a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). CSIR-NCL is a science and knowledge based research, development and consulting organization. It is internationally known for its excellence in scientific research in chemistry and chemical engineering as well as for its outstanding track record of industrial research involving partnerships with industry from concept to commercialization. National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), a constituent Laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi was formally declared open on January 3, 1950. Conceived from the vision of the great makers of modern India, it has celebrated its 60 years of growth and existence during the year 2009-10, culminating in the Diamond Jubilee of its Foundation on January 3, 2010. Sixty years is a significant milestone in the history of an institution. NCL has had a lineage of distinguished leaderships who have guided its destiny at various milestones of this journey. With its rich tradition of excellence in scientific research, it has nurtured the best minds of India. It has contributed over the years in myriad ways to the development of the chemical industry in India. It has partnered research with some of the largest chemical companies of the world. The mission and goals of NCL, as stated by its founding fathers, has continued to stay relevant to the needs of India. It has continually transformed and reinvented itself to meet the new challenges . While the past is our heritage, the future is our destiny. NCL is poised to face this future with ever more commitment and passion to ensure that India is counted amongst the front ranking nations of the world.

About CSIR NCL
Established in 1950
Founding Director Prof. J. W. McBain
Current Director Dr. Ashish Lele
Location Pune, Maharashtra, India
Research Type Chemistry
Website Visit Official Website

Research

CSIR - NCL and its scientists have many collaborative projects with leading academic and scientific institutes and also with individual researchers. Such partnership endorses CSIR - NCL's global leadership in chemical and allied sciences. CSIR - NCL scientists individually or as a team also have many collaborative programmes with various leading research groups from India and abroad.

Research Divisions


CSIR-NCL provides an excellent environment for interdisciplinary research in one campus as people form subject area such as chemistry, physical, biology and chemical engineering work in the research divisions listed below.

  1. Biochemical Sciences Division
  2. Catalysis And Inorganic Chemistry
  3. Chemical Engineering & Process Development
  4. Polymer Science And Engineering
  5. Physics and Material Chemistry
  6. Organic Chemistry

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Centers of Excellence


During the last few years, CSIR-NCL has initiated five Centres of Excellence to encourage and carry out excellent research in specified areas by bringing in like-minded people together through discussions and to train staff and students in doing quality research using the best infrastructure and facilities.

  1. Nano-materials & nano-particles :- Nanoscale materials are considered to be attractive building blocks for constructing novel devices due to their unique size-dependent, and often tunable, thermal, optical, electronic and magnetic properties arising from quantum confinement effects. In particular, there has been a great deal of interest in creating ordered assemblies of nanoclusters of select sizes, arranged in specific configurations. Scientists at NCL prepare several such hybrid materials in the form of nanotubes, and nano-composites inorder to reap their benefits in potential applications such as sensors, catalysis, nonlinear optics and single electron devices.

  2. Micro reactor Engineering :- With NCL’s strengths in synthesis, catalysis, analysis, engineering and direct relevance with the industrial research, a Centre of Excellence on Microreaction Technology (CoE) is a long term program where the advantages of miniaturization and continuous flow are explored and extended towards the understanding science of small devices and further use it to develop new technologies.

  3. Scientific Computing :- The Center of Excellence in Scientific Computing (CoESC) promotes R&D activities in scientific computing in all branches of chemistry, chemical engineering and chemical informational sciences.

  4. Solar Power :- CSIR-NCL is playing a leading role in the area of clean and renewable energy under its TAPSUN program of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Energy Mission. About 15 scientists from various areas are contributing and have already published high impact papers and have several patent disclosures to their credit.

  5. Surface Science :- The center explores and understands the surface science aspects of materials towards various applications and encourages collaborative efforts between surface science and those processes that involves surfaces extensively, such as catalysis and nano-science, to generate cutting-edge scientific findings.

  6. Specialty Polymers for Customized Additive Manufacturing :- The Centre of Excellence in Specialty Polymers for Customized Additive Manufacturing has been established at CSIR-NCL Pune through the support of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers, Government of India along with Research, Project Planning & Business Development Directorate, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Delhi. Leveraging our unique expertise in synthetic polymer chemistry and material science and engineering, the center strives to be the first-choice connecting point for industry partners in India to develop new polymeric materials and composites suitable for additive manufacturing techniques such as FDM and SLA. We also focus on structure-property relationships in 3D printed products using advanced characterization tools such as electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray microtomography, differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical testing. We also have the capabilities for 3D bioprinting that combine cells, functional biomolecules and biomaterials to mimic natural tissues. With our state-of-the-art research capabilities, excellence in basic science and proven delivery of applied solutions, we aim to advance the field of additive manufacturing in India. The center invites interested industrial partners to actively participate for collaborative research.