About
Ramaswamy Nagarajan is a Distinguished University Professor (Fall 2022 - Summer 2025) of Plastics Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Ramaswamy Nagarajan is a professor of Plastics Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is the co-director of the Center for Advanced Materials (CAM), co-founder and co-director of the Harnessing Emerging Research Opportunities to Empower Soldiers (HEROES) Initiative. He is also the co-Director of the Fabric Discovery Center at Lowell. He has a combination of science and engineering background with bachelor degrees in chemistry and rubber technology and a doctoral degree in polymer science from the University Massachusetts. His current research interests include greener advanced functional materials, multifunctional fabrics, greener flame retardant additives and surfactants, materials for energy conversion/storage and roll-to-roll manufacture of flexible electronic products. Working at the interface of science and engineering his research group has been involved in utilizing fundamental materials research and engineering solutions for addressing problems and advancing technology in new and emerging areas. He is the Co-editor of Journal of Renewable Materials and has published 70 papers in peer-reviewed journals and holds 20 US Patents.
Research Interests
Interdisciplinary research for safer advanced multifunctional polymers and additives. Fire retardants, surfactants, electronic, photo-responsive polymers, multifunctional coatings for fabric, organic photovoltaics, materials and processes for energy conversion and storage, biocatalysis and biomimetic catalysis for advance functional materials and therapeutic oligomers, nanostructured sensors for sensing of toxins, wireless structural health monitoring and physiological monitoring.
Education
- Ph.D.: Polymer Science (Plastics Engineering), (2000), University of Massachusetts
Lowell - Lowell, MA
Dissertation/Thesis Title: Enzymatic synthesis of Polyaniline complexed with DNA and other polyelectrolyte templates - MS: Polymer Science, (1998), University of Massachusetts Lowell - Lowell, Massachusetts
- BT: Rubber Technology, (1994), Anna University - Chennai, India
- BS: Chemistry, (1991), Loyola College, University of Madras - Chennai, India
Selected Publications
- “Microencapsulation and controlled release of insect repellent geraniol in gelatin/gum arabic microcapsules” (Ogilvie-Battersby, J. D., Nagarajan R., Mosurkal, R., Orbey, N.) Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 640, 128494 (2022)
- “Bio-Based Flame-Retardant Coatings Based on the Synergistic Combination of Tannic Acid and Phytic Acid for Nylon–Cotton Blends.” (Kulkarni, S., Xia, Z., Yu, S., Kiratitanavit, W., Morgan, A. B., Kumar, J., Mosurkal, R., Nagarajan R.). ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, (2021)
- “Identifying sustainable alternatives to dimethyl formamide for coating applications using Hansen Solubility Parameters.” (Yu, S., Sharma, R., Morose, G., & Nagarajan R.). Journal of Cleaner Production, 322, 129011, (2021).
- “Facile microwave assisted flame retardant treatment for cotton fabric using a biobased industrial byproduct: phytic acid.” (Yu, S., Xia, Z., Kiratitanavit, W., Kulkarni, S., Kumar, J., Mosurkal, R., & Nagarajan R.). Cellulose, 28(16), 10655-10674, (2021).
- “Thermomechanical and sequential stress performance of photovoltaic backsheets.” (Perez, P., Iyer, S., Thellen, C., Kumar, J., Nagarajan R., Ratto, J. A., & Rothacker, A.). Solar Energy, 216, 133-144, (2021).
Contact
📧 Ramaswamy_Nagarajan@uml.edu
📍 UMass Lowell NERVE Center
110 Canal St., Lowell, MA 01852
📞 +1 (978) 934-3454