Group Website: CH Activation & Phytochemistry

Organic Synthesis & Catalysis

   C-H Activation/functionalization

   Atropselective C-H Activation/Functionalization

   Photocatalysis

   Heterocycles Synthesis 

Phytochemistry (Himalayan Medicinal Plants)

    Isolation and structure elucidation of  plant secondary metabolites

    Certified Refrance Materials (CRMs) of Himalayan Medicinal Plants Phytochemicals 

    Standardization of plant extracts (targetted activity & four marker compounds) 

    Development of analytical methods (UPLC, GC, and NMR) 

    Chemical profiling using NMR (1D & 2D), UPLC-MS/MS, and GC-MS/MS

    Bio(Chemomatrcis)-based generation of plant authentication database

    NADES-based extraction/enrichment of plant products

Medicinal Chemistry 

    Discovery of new heterocycles as potential therapeutic agents 

    Scientific validation of plant traditional knowledge (Ayush or Phytopharma route)

Funding 

      Project Completed: 20 (PI: 08;  Co-PI: 12); External Funded: 05

      Project Ongoing: 10 (PI: 04;  Co-PI: 06); External Funded: 05

Selected Publications in the last three years

Organic Synthesis and Catalysis 

211. Chemistry An Asian Journal, 2025, 20, e202401266. [Link]

210. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry,  2025, 23, 2572. [Link]

209. Trends in Chemistry,  2024, 6, 705. [Link]

208. Organic Letters, 2024, 26, 8515. [Link]

207. Journal of Catalysis,  2024, 115756. [Link]

206. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2024, 89, 15893. [Link]

205. The Journal of Organic Chemistry,  2024, 89, 14880. [Link]

204. Journal of Catalysis, 2024,  438,  115673.[Link]

203. Organic Chemistry Frontiers,  2024, 11, 4986.  [Link]

202. Molecular Catalysis, 2024, 568, 114395. [Link]

201. Organic Letters,  2024, 26, 5027. [Link]

200. Trends in Chemistry,  2024, 6, 277. [Link]

199. Coordination Chemistry Reviews,  2024, 499, 215453. [Link]

198.  Chemical Communications, 2024, 60, 5626. [Link]

197.  Molecular Catalysis, 2023, 551, 113597. [Link]

196. Chemical Communications,  2023,  59, 9646. [Link]

195. Chemistry A European Journal, 2023  e202301360. [Link] [Published as Hot Article]

194. Chemical Communications, 2023, 59, 9288. [Link] 

193. Organic Letters, 2023, 25, 2627. [Link]

192. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2023, 88,  2314. [Link]  

Phytochemistry 

191.  Food Biosciences, 2025, 71, 107377. [Link]

190. Journal of Pest Science, 2025, accepted. 

189. Natural Product Research,  2025 39, 4006.  [Link]

188. Natural Product Research, 2025, doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2025.2465606. [Link]

187. Separation and Purification Technology,  2025,354, 128699. [Link]

186.  Microchemical Journal, 2025, 208, 112620. [Link]

185. Fitoterpia, 2025, 180, 106279. [Link]

184. Microchemical Journal,  2025, 208,  112137. [Link]

183. Fitoterapia, 2024, 17, 105925. [Link] 

182. Phytochemical Analysis, 2024, 35, 1265. [Link]

181. Microchemical Journal, 2024, 205, 111210. [Link] 

180. Microchemical Journal, 2024, 199, 110129. [Link]

179. Natural Product Research, 2024, DOI.org/1080/14786419.2024.2375318. [Link]

178. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2024, 320, 117385. [Link]

177. Natural Product Research, 2024, 38,  440. [Link]

176. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2023, 115748. [Link]

175. Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, 2023, 36, 101305. [Link]

174. Steroids, 2023, 199, 109293. [Link]

173. Journal of Molecular Structure, 2023, 1292, 136077. [Link]

172. Industrial Crops and Products,  2023, 202, 117040. [Link]

171. Journal of Ethnopharmacology,  2023, 310, 116389. [Link]

170. Food Research International,  2023, 164, 112434. [Link]

169.  Journal of Cleaner Production, 2023, 385,  135639. [Link]

168. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 2023, 13, 311. [Link] 

Complete List of  Publications

NABL Assessor, ISO17025:2017 for testing (2024 onwards)

Involved in establishing and getting NABL accreditation of Chemical Technology Lab, CSIR-IHBT, as per ISO17025:2017 for testing under Ayush Drugs group (April 2025-April 2029)

Karmyogi Facilitator (September 2025 onwards)

Member, Sports Promotion Board (SPB), CSIR (2025-)

Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry(FRSC), London, UK (2023-)

Member, Editorial Board, Scientific Reports (2024-). [Link]

Member, Early Career Board, Science of Synthesis (2022-). [Link]

Member, Early Career Advisory Board, Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry (2020-). [Link]

One Year Advance Promotion, i.e., Merit Promotion from Scientist to Senior Scientist.

Manjushree Pal Memorial Award for Best Oral Presentation from the  Ethanopharmacology Society of India, Kolkata (2017)

Thieme Chemistry Journal Award (2016)

Postdoc Fellowship, KAIST, South Korea (2014)

D S Kothari Postdoc Fellowship (2012)

Fast Track Young Scientist project for three years (2012)

CSIR Senior Research Fellowship (2009)

CSIR-Junior Research Fellowship (2007)

GATE (2007)

CSIR-NET (2006) 

Book Edited 

Functionalization of Heterocycles through Transition Metal Catalyzed C-H Activation. 

Editors:  Debabrata Maiti & Upendra Sharma, 

Topic in Heterocyclic Chemistry (Springer).

2024, Vol. 60, doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70843-5. [Link]                                                                

Book Chapters

12. 15.3.5 Synthesis of Quinoline Derivatives by Modification of Methyl Substituents at the C2 or C8 Position. 

U. Sharma,* D. Parmar, Sumit, and Manisha

Science of Synthesis Knowledge Update  (Thieme), 2024,  15, 1-200. [Link]

11. Plant-based natural product chemistry: An overview of the multistep journey involved in scientific validation of traditional knowledge.

Anmol, G. Aggarwal, M. Sharma, R. Singh, Shivani, and U. Sharma*

Studies in Natural Product Chemistry (Elsevier), 2024, 80, 327-277. [Link]

10. Quinolines (Update 2022)  

U. Sharma,* R. Kumar, S. S. Gupta, D. Chandra. 

Science of Synthesis Knowledge Updates  (Thieme), 2022, 2, 63-327. [Link]

9. Integrated Approach for the Quality Assurance of Commercially Important Himalayan Medicinal Plants.

 P. S. Bora, P. S. Suresh, S. Kumari, Anmol, S. Puri, and U. Sharma.* 

Ekiert H. M., Ramawat K. G., Arora J. (eds)  

Medicinal Plants. Sustainable Development and Biodiversity (Springer), 2021, 28, 721-768. [Link]

8. Steroidal Sapogenins from Genus Trillium: Chemistry, Synthesis, and Opportunities in Neuro-active Steroids Designing. 

P. S. Suresh, V. Bhatt, P. P. Singh, and U. Sharma.*

Studies in Natural Product Chemistry (Elsevier), 2021, 68, 67-95. [Link] 

7. Direct Arylation via C-H activation.

U. Sharma, A. Modak, S. Maity, A. Maji, and D. Maiti.*

Thomas CoIacot eds., Introduction to New Trends in Cross-Coupling: Theory and   

Applications (RSC), 2014. [Link]

Complete List of Book Chapters

5. Process for the Pure Crystalline Atisinium Chloride [Guanfu Base H] from Plant Extract.

Anmol, R. Sharma, and U. Sharma.

Ref. No. 01872025; Date of Filing: 17-07-2025.

4. Hydrodistillation Process for the Extraction of Essential Oil from the Peels of Citrus Species by Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent as Cosolvent. 

Anmol, M. Sharma, M. Sharma, and U. Sharma.

Ref. No. 0087NF2025 [202511035298]; Date of Filing: 09-04-2025.

3. An Eco-friendly Process for Isolation of Fiber from Plant Species and Product thereof. 

M. Sharma, S. Thakur, U. Sharma, and S. Kumar. 

Ref. No. 202011034404. Date of Filing: 11-08-2020.  

2. Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Benzofurans and Coumarins from Phenols and Olefins.

D. Maiti, U. Sharma, and N. Tagoti.  

Indian Patent No. 299110; Date of Grant: 24-07-2018.

1. Benzothiazole Substituted Phthalimide Analogues as Potential Angiogenesis Inhibitors.

B. Singh, S. Chattergi, N. Kumar and U. Sharma.  

Indian Patent No. 318680; Date of Grant: 22-08-2019.

Postdoc Fellow

Dr. Anmol

Dr. Prateek Singh Bora

Ph.D. Fellows

Ms. Shivani

Mr. Raman Singh

Ms. Mehak Sharma

Mr. Gaurav Aggrawal

Mr. Sachin

Mr. Sarthi

Ms. Tamanna Sharma

Mr. Aadarsh Shrivastav

Project Fellows

Mr. Shourabh Rav

Mr. Aryan Bhardwaj

Ms. Reetika Sharma

Mr. Sahil Awasthi

Group Alumni 

Ph.D. Thesis Awarded 

Dr. Prateek Singh Bora, August 2025. Current Position: SPA at CSIR-IHBT.

Dr. Shivani Puri, July 2025. 

Dr. Ankita Thakur, March 2024. Current Position: Asst. Prof. at SPU, Mandi (HP).

Dr. Manisha, January 2025. Current Position: Asst. Prof. at Govt. Degree College (HPU).

Dr. Shiv Shankar Gupta, December 2024. [Zaleski Group, Indiana University Bloomington, USA]

Dr. Anmol, November 2024. Current Position: SPA at CSIR-IHBT.

Dr. Sumit, November 2024. [Roger Olsson Group, Lund University, Sweden]

Dr. Prithvi Pal Singh, September 2024. [Parastoo Azadi Group, University of Georgia, USA]

Dr. Rohit Kumar, April 2024. [Jiang Research Group, Wayne State University, USA]

Dr. Devesh Chandra, March 2024. [Hidetoshi Noda Research Group, Institute of Microbial Chemistry, Tokyo, Japan]

Dr. Diksha Parmar, March 2024.

Dr. Surekha Kumari, February 2024. [Guillermo Delgado-Lamasi Group, NAU, Mexico]

Dr. Patil Shivprasad Suresh, February 2022. [Zhang Research Group, UNC, USA]

Dr. Ankit K Dhiman, December 2021. [Stepien Group, University of Wroclaw, Poland]

Dr. Inder Kumar, July 2021, Current Position: Asst. Prof. at Govt. Degree College (HPU) 

Dr. Rakesh Kumar, February 2020. [Olofsson Group, Stockholm University, Sweden]

Dr. Ritika Sharma, July 2019. [Prof. D. S. Rawat Group, Delhi University, India]

Dr. Deepali Katoch, July 2019 

Dr. Vinod Bhatt, February 2018

Postdocs

Dr. Devesh Chandra, SPA, 2024-2025; Current Postion: JSPS Fellow, Japan. 

Dr. Arif Khan, SPA, 2024-2025; Current Postion: Reserch Scientist, Jubilant Biosy. 

Dr. Patil Shivprasad Suresh, SPA, 2022-2023. [Zhang Research Group, UNC, USA]

Dr. Manish Kumar Gupta, SPA, 2022-2023; Current Position: Postdoc at IIT Roorkee.

Dr. Vinod Bhatt, RA, 2018-2019.

Dr. Ashun Chaudhary, Postdoc, 2016-2018; Current Position: Asst. Prof. at CUHP.

Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Postdoc, 2016-2017; Current Position: Asst. Prof. at NIT Jalandhar.

Project Fellows and Trainees

25 Project Assistants and 33 Trainees worked in the lab.

Prospective Team Members

Two Ph.D. Positions are available for JRF candidates in the C-H activation area.

Postdoc Positions are Available for Self-Motivated Persons.