Mas Subramanian


Munirpallam Appadorai "Mas" Subramanian, often known also as M. A. Subramanian or Munirpallam Subramanian, is a solid-state chemist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, and currently holds both the titles of Distinguished Professor and Milton Harris Chair of Materials Science in the Department of Chemistry. His work in solid-state chemistry on structure-property relationships of inorganic compounds has led to the discovery of several novel functional materials, many of which have found usage in various applications. Subramanian has authored 360 research publications and holds 60 patents. His publications have received more than 28,000 citations.

Early life and education

Subramanian was born and raised in Chennai. Subramanian received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Madras, in 1975 and received a M.S in Inorganic Chemistry from the same university in 1977. Subramanian's master's thesis featured analysis of various minerals and alloy compounds. In 1982 Mas completed his Ph.D in Solid State Chemistry on pyrochlore oxides at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, under the guidance of the late Professor G. V. Subba Rao. The introduction to his thesis is a pyrochlore review that remains his most cited work to date. From 1982-1984 he was a NSF Post Doctoral Fellow under the guidance of Abraham Clearfield at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

Scientific career

In 1984, Subramanian joined the Central R&D department at the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware. He was eventually appointed as a DuPont Research Fellow. He has made numerous contributions to the fields of ceramics, superconductors, dielectrics, catalysis, thermoelectrics, multiferroics, ionic conductors, and organic synthesis. His notable discoveries include: zeolites as precursors to electronic ceramics, new Bi and Tl-containing superconductors, catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and hydrofluorocarbons, colossal dielectrics, colossal magnetoresistance oxides, and skutterudite thermoelectrics. His work on fluoroaromatic synthesis is one of his most notable achievements.
In 2006, Subramanian joined Oregon State University as the Milton Harris Chair Professor of Materials Science, where his research is dedicated to the design and synthesis of novel functional materials for emerging applications in energy, environment, and electronics. He and his team, at Oregon State University, work on various topics such as pigments, thermoelectrics, high-temperature superconductivity, magnetoresistivity, solid fast ion conductors, high-K dielectrics, and topological insulators. In 2009, his team discovered a novel durable blue pigment, YInMn Blue, the first discovery of a new blue pigment since cobalt was discovered in 1802. Subramanian has given several public lectures all over the world on YInMn Blue, including TEDxSalem and TEDxUNC. This discovery has been featured in various international media outlets, and has attracted global attention from corporations and museums, like Nike, Crayola, and the Harvard Art Museum.
Subramanian has served as a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Materials Chemistry, Chemistry of Materials, Materials Research Bulletin, and the Journal of Solid State Chemistry, and is continues to serve as an editor for two international academic journals, , and .

Honors and awards