Kolkata is no stranger to scientific breakthroughs led by changemakers whose lives have been shaped by the city. From Jagadish Chandra Bose to Meghnad Saha, from Satyendra Nath Bose to CV Raman, the City of Joy has a proud legacy of being the City of Innovation. Adding to the list of Kolkatans who have broadened the scientific horizon is Subhabrata Sen, born and brought up in Shyambazar, who has become the first Indian to win the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) Perkin Prize.
Announced on the RSC website on June 25, the Perkin Prize, instituted in 2020, is one of the most prestigious accolades in the field of modern chemistry. Named after Sir William Henry Perkin, the inventor of the first synthetic dye, the award, also known as the Organic Chemistry Horizon Prize, is a career-defining recognition meant for transformative contributions.
“I’m truly excited and deeply honoured! This award is more than just a recognition — it’s a powerful reminder of the joy that stems from curiosity, persistence and the thrill of discovery. To me, this is also a testament to how Indian science is increasingly shaping the global landscape of innovation. It signals that we are no longer on the sidelines — we are now a formidable scientific force to reckon with,” Sen, 53, told My Kolkata.
‘Kolkata nurtured my curiosity and shaped my scientific temperament’
Sen with Debabrata Maiti, one of his collaborators on the project
“To me, science has never been confined to experiments, textbooks or instruments. It is a passion born from a holistic learning experience — where science and the arts coexist and complement each other. Kolkata gave me that foundation,” noted Sen, who did his undergraduate studies at Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission Residential College and his post-graduation at Kalyani University.
“My formative years were steeped in the rich cultural and intellectual landscape of Kolkata . I grew up surrounded by iconic places like the Birla Planetarium, Rabindra Sadan, Kala Mandir, College Street’s boi para, the Coffee House, and the Science College… These places weren’t just destinations; they were catalysts that nurtured my curiosity and shaped my scientific temperament,” added Sen.
After completing his education in the city, Sen proceeded to get a PhD from the University of Missouri-Columbia before obtaining a postdoctoral degree from Colorado State University in the US. Sen is presently a professor of chemistry at Shiv Nadar University, with his professional experience including stints at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and GVK Biosciences.
Sen’s winning project, dubbed the AEEon Collective, has developed a breakthrough technique called Alternate Electrode Electrolysis (AEE). This revolutionary method, for which Sen was the principal investigator, allows chemists to drive reactions with much higher precision and vastly greater sustainability.
Sen and his team of eight includes five Bengalis — including postdoctoral researcher Debajit Maiti, who, in Sen’s words, “was equally instrumental [as me] in developing the technology”. Maiti is currently in South Korea for his second postdoctoral assignment.
The Perkin Prize is a tribute to years of hard work undertaken by Sen and his collaborators, with their research published in journals like the RSC’s Chemical Science (2023), Cell Press (2024), and the Journal of the American Chemical Society (2024). Sen’s team, spanning Shiv Nadar University Institution of Eminence (deemed to be University) and IIT Bombay, was driven by diverse expertise — from reaction design and synthesis to engineering the four-electrode setup that powers the AEE process. The challenge was significant — crafting a microcontroller that could precisely direct electrical currents to four electrodes in a tiny electrochemical cell. The hardest part was setting up the cell design and the custom electronics for small-scale reactions.
These hurdles were surpassed through painstaking iterations, countless lab hours, and the kind of focused teamwork that great research thrives on.
What is Alternate Electrode Electrolysis (AEE)?
Shweta Singh and Subhankar Bera from Sen’s team
Traditional electrochemical methods for organic synthesis often come with serious drawbacks: wasted energy, harmful metals and inconsistent reaction rates. Sen and his team’s AEE technology solves this. Their process uses a unique cell design with alternating electrodes so that the electric current stays steady and strong. The result? Chemical reactions that run faster, cleaner and more efficiently.
More than a lab innovation, this is a leap towards sustainable chemistry. By making reactions quicker and reducing energy consumption, AEE could one day help produce life-saving pharmaceuticals and next-generation materials — while also mitigating the environmental footprint of these industries. Beyond medicine, the team envisions AEE-driven applications in agrochemicals, carbon dioxide reduction, water splitting and ammonia synthesis.
What’s next?
Sen and his team’s work can pave the way for greener, more affordable pathways to crucial molecules
Now that Sen and his team’s work has received a global platform, what follows? How and when can their research start impacting everyday life?
“The immediate next step is to develop a user-friendly electrosynthesis instrument and cell specifically designed for performing AEE at both laboratory and industrial scales. One of the key challenges in electrosynthesis is the need to assemble the reaction cell and electrodes before each experiment, which can be time-consuming and inconsistent… With AEE, having a dedicated, plug-and-play setup would significantly lower the entry barrier. It would enable chemists — whether in academia or industry — to adopt the technology more quickly and confidently, accelerating its broader application and impact,” answered Sen.
In the long run, this means greener, more affordable pathways to crucial molecules. Whether making active pharmaceutical ingredients, sustainable agrochemicals or exploring CO₂-reduction technologies, the implications are vast. And Sen is at the forefront of these possibilities, championing Kolkata’s scientific spirit across the planet.