Maji, Rajat

Instruction

Short Biography

Rajat received his undergraduate studies at IIT-Kharagpur. While at IIT, Rajat worked on synthesizing modified carbohydrates, and asymmetric organocatalysis. After graduation, Rajat moved to the US to pursue his PhD. Rajat earned his PhD from Texas A&M University, under the supervision of Prof. Steven E Wheeler, where he honed his knowledge of organic structure and reactivity through the lens of state-of-the-art computation. Rajat subsequently relocated to Europe and spent three years as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Benjamin List at the MPI Kohlenforschung-Germany, where he worked on asymmetric olefin functionalization. Currently, Rajat is working in the lab of Prof. Abigail Doyle, designing new radical polar crossover reactions. To promote synergy between theory and experimentation, Rajat created an online platform: VISTA.

Honors & Awards

  • CAS–SciFinder Future Leader Award (2022)
  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, Horizon 2020, European Union
  • Invited to 71st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (Chemistry), Germany
  • ACS Chemical Computing Excellence Research Award
  • University Distinguished Research Award, Texas A&M University, USA
  • Sharon Dabney Award for Outstanding Research and Service, Texas A&M University, USA
  • Eastman Teaching Award, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University

Representative Publications

Visit their Google Scholar page for an updated list of publication:

  • Maji, R.; Ghosh, S.; Grossmann, O.; Zhang, P.; Leutzsch, M.; Tsuji, N. List, B. A Catalytic Asymmetric Hydrolactonization. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145(16), 8788–8793.
  • Maji, R.; Mallojjala, C. S.; Wheeler, S. E. Electrostatic Interactions in Asymmetric Organocatalysis. Chem. Res., 2023, 56(14), 1990-2000
  • J; Maji. R.; Leutzsch, M.; Mitschke, B.; List, B. Design of an Organocatalytic Asymmetric (4+3) Cycloaddition of 2-Indolylalcohols with Dienolsilanes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144(19), 8460–8466.
  • Díaz-Oviedo, C. D.; Maji, R.; List, B. The Catalytic Asymmetric Intermolecular Prins Reaction. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143(49), 20598–20604.
  • Maji, R.; Mallojjala, C. S.; Wheeler, S. E. Chiral Phosphoric Acid Catalysis: From Numbers to Insights. Soc Rev. 2018, 47(4), 1142–1158.
  • Maji, R.; Champagne, P. A.; Houk, K. N.; Wheeler, S. E. Activation Mode and Origin of Selectivity in Chiral Phosphoric Acid-Catalyzed Oxacycle Formation by Intramolecular Oxetane Desymmetrizations. ACS Catalysis 2017, 7(10), 7332–7339.
  • Maji, R.; Wheeler, S. E. Importance of Electrostatic Effects in the Stereoselectivity of NHC Catalyzed Kinetic Resolutions. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 12441–12449.