Naresh Dalal, a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry has been recognised as one of the top scholars in his field by the American Chemical Society.
WASHINGTON: Naresh Dalal, a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida State University, has been recognised as one of the top scholars in his field in the southeastern United States by the American Chemical Society.
The Florida Section of the Society has selected Dalal as the recipient of the 2007 Florida Award which recognises his leadership and contributions toward the advancement of the profession of chemistry.
"Professor Dalal has had a sustained and distinguished track record in researching the magnetic properties of molecules and solids," said Professor Joseph Schlenoff, the interim chairman of FSU's department of chemistry and biochemistry.
"His most notable recent accomplishments are in the area of molecular magnets. These novel materials are potentially valuable for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Professor Dalal joins 15 other distinguished FSU chemists who have received this award since it was initiated."
Dalal was recently involved in a research project that could lead to ways of producing sharper medical images through MRI machines. Working with colleagues from FSU, the University of Colorado and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, he helped uncover unique properties in a molecular magnet, properties that could significantly increase the resolution of MRIs.
Working at FSU and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Dalal and FSU chemistry graduate teaching assistant Vasanth Ramachandran were able to synthesise a substance known as Fe8 that is one of the strongest magnets known.
"Fe8 is a molecule made up of eight iron ions that form a tight molecular bond.It has a powerful magnetic field, which is obviously important in generating a very clear image with an MRI device. What's more, Fe8 is non-toxic and water-soluble, making it safe for injection into the body" Dalal's aid.
It is being pointed out that molecular magnets such as Fe8 also could lead to significant breakthroughs in the area of quantum computing, which has the potential to create computers that are exponentially faster and more powerful than the ones in use today.
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