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Jagadeesh Rajenahally

E-mail:   jagadeesh.rajenahally@vsb.cz

Prof. Jagadeesh Rajenahally is a Group Leader at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) in Germany and in the Nanotechnology Center, CEET at VSB-Technical University of Ostrava (VSB-TUO) in the Czech Republic. Currently, he heads and leads two research groups: the Catalysis for Sustainable Syntheses Group at LIKAT in Germany and the Heterogeneous Catalysis Team in the Materials-Envi Lab (MEL), CNT, VSB-TUO in the Czech Republic. He obtained PhD in Chemistry from Bangalore University in India, subsequently performed Postdoctoral Research for about two years at the University of Florida in the USA and worked as Assistant Professor at the VIT University in India for about six months. Then, in the year 2010 he joined the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) in Germany, initially as a Scientist in the department of Prof. Matthias Beller and subsequently became Group Leader at LIKAT first for the synergy between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis and later for catalysis for sustainable syntheses. In addition, since 2024 he has also been a group leader at CNT, VSB-TUO in the Czech Republic. He also completed habilitation and awarded from the University of Rostock in Germany. 

Cover picture in Science journal (29 November 2013 issue)
from the work, R. V. Jagadeesh et al, Science, 2013, 342, 1073 

Research work of his groups focuses on sustainable and circular chemistry with particular emphasis on catalysis, organic synthesis, valorization of renewable feedstocks, and recycling/upscaling of waste materials as well as energy and material technologies. 

Research focus of his groups:

  • Catalyst development: Desing of both heterogeneous (nano- and single atom-catalysts) and homogeneous catalysts. 
  • Sustainable and advanced organic synthesis: Sustainable and environmentally beneficial catalytic processes for synthesis of essential chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and biomolecules. 
  • Industrial processes: Development of scalable and economically viable catalytic processes for production of fine and bulk chemicals.
  • Valorization of renewable feedstocks: Catalytic valorization of biomass and CO2 to produce value-added chemicals and fuels
  • Recycling/upscaling of waste-materials: Catalytic conversion of plastics- and bio-waste and use them as resources for chemical and fuel production to enable circular economy and to realize “waste-to-value” mission.
  • Material technologies: Nanostructured- and single atom-engineering for advanced material design.
  • Energy technologies: Hydrogen technology for enabling sustainable energy.

Important works of Prof. Rajenahally’s groups are published in Science (3 research papers), Nature Publishing Journals (>15 research papers) and in other high-level journals. Interestingly work related to the development of iron-based nanocatalyst for an industrially relevant hydrogenation process was highlighted and featured on the ‘Cover of Science (29 November 2013 issue; Science, 2013, 342, 1073). In addition, key works have been highlighted in Science, Nature, Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), Science World, Chemistry World and other international scientific news/portals.

Research Group website links @ Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT), Germany

Selected publications

  1. V. G. Chandrashekhar, W. Baumann, M. Beller, R. V. Jagadeesh, Science, 2022, 376, 1433-1441. Nickel-catalyzed hydrogenative coupling of nitriles and amines for general amine synthesis.
  2. R. V. Jagadeesh, K. Murugesan, A. S. Alshammari, H. Neumann, M.-M. Pohl, J. Radnik, M. Beller, Science, 2017, 358, 326-332. MOF-derived cobalt nanoparticles catalyze a general synthesis of amines.
  3. R. V. Jagadeesh, A. E. Surkus, H. Junge, M. M. Pohl, J. Radnik, J. Rabeah, H. Huan, V. Schünemann, A. Brückner, M. Beller, Science, 2013, 342, 1073-1076. Nanoscale Fe2O3-based catalysts for selective hydrogenation of nitroarenes to anilines.
  4. Z. Ma, N. Rockstroh, Z. Chen, V. Goyal, C. Kuloor, S. Bartling, Z. Baďura, J.Rabeah, L. Dong, H. Lund, B. Nan, R. Zbořil, R. V. Jagadeesh, M. Beller, Nature Catalysis, 2026, 9, 389-403. Iron-based single atom catalysts for selective ammoxidation of C(sp3)-H bonds and oxidative C-C cleavage reactions.
  5. V. G. Chandrashekhar, T. Senthamarai, R. G. Kadam, O. Malina, J. Kašlík, R. Zbořil, M. B. Gawande, R. V. Jagadeesh, M. Beller, Nature Catalysis, 2022, 5, 20-29. Silica supported Fe/Fe-O nanoparticles for the catalytic hydrogenation of nitriles to amines in the presence of aluminium additives.
  6. C. Kuloor, Akash, V. Goyal, R. Zbořil, M. Beller, R. V. Jagadeesh, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025, 64, e202414689. Nickel-catalyzed reductive hydrolysis of nitriles to alcohols.
  7. Z. Ma, C. Kuloor, C. Kreyenschulte, S. Bartling, O. Malina, M. Haumann, P. W. Menezes, R. Zbořil, M. Beller, R. V. Jagadeesh, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2024, 136, e202407859. Development of iron-based single atom materials for general and efficient synthesis of amines.
  8. H. Li, J. Ma, X. Wan, Y.Liu, C. Zhang, X. Si, X. Shen, R. V. Jagadeesh, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2026, 65, e2045478. Photocatalytic lignin depolymerization and cross-coupling with alcohols to produce unsymmetric aromatic diols.
  9. 1Z. Ma, B. Zhang, H. Yang, Y. Hu, J. Yu, Y. Cui, J. Zhao, M. Beller, R. V. Jagadeesh, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2026, 65, e6974259. Single-atom iron-catalyzed oxidative esterification: From methylarenes to the upcycling of polystyrene and lignin-derived feedstocks.
  10. C. Kuloor, V. Goyal, Z. Ma, F. Poovan, D. P. Fuentes, W. Baumann, J. Zhao, R. Zbořil, M. Beller, R. V. Jagadeesh, Nature Communications, 2026, 17, 3525. General and selective ruthenium-catalyzed hydrogenation of primary amides to primary amines under mild conditions.
  11. F. Poovan, R. V. Jagadeesh, M. Beller, Chem, 2026, 12, 102667. A catalytic approach to the valorization of polyesters and biogenic waste for the production of amines.
  12. T. Senthamarai, V. G. Chandrashekhar, N. Rockstroh, J. Rabeah, S. Bartling, R. V. Jagadeesh, M. Beller, Chem, 2022, 8, 508-531. A “universal” catalyst for aerobic oxidations to synthesize (hetero)aromatic aldehydes, ketones, esters, acids, nitriles and amides.
  13. B. Zhou, V. Chandrashekhar, Z. Ma, C. Kreyenschulte, S. Bartling, H. Lund, M. Beller, R. V. Jagadeesh, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2023, 62, e20221569. Development of a general and selective nanostructured cobalt catalyst for the hydrogenation of benzofurans, indoles and benzothiophenes.
  14. K. Murugesan, M. Beller, R. V. Jagadeesh, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2019, 58, 5064-5068. Reusable nickel nanoparticles-catalyzed reductive amination for selective synthesis of primary amines.
  15. K. Murugesan, Z. Wei, V. G. Chandrashekhar, H. Neumann, A. Spannenberg, H. Jiao, M. Beller, R. V. Jagadeesh, Nature Communications, 2019, 10, 5443. Homogeneous cobalt-catalyzed reductive amination for synthesis of functionalized primary amines.