Puru Jena

Distinguished Professor
Theoretical condensed matter, Theoretical nanoscience
701 W. Grace St., 1513
pjena@vcu.edu
804.828.8991
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Physics, University of California, Riverside, 1970
Thesis Title – “Electronic Structure and Hyperfine Properties of Group II Metals”
Advisor: Prof. Tara P. Das
M. Sc. in Physics, Utkal University, Orissa, India, 1966
B. S. (Hons) with Distinction in Physics, Utkal University, Orissa, India, 1964
RESEARCH
My research interests cover a wide range of areas in Physics, Chemistry, and Materials science starting fromatomic clusters and nanomaterials to surfaces, interfaces, thin films, and defects in crystalline materials.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Fang, H. and Jena, P.: “Super-ion Inspired Colorful Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells”, J. Mat. Chem. A 4, 4728 (2016)
Zhang, S., Zhou, J., Wang, Q., Chen, X., Kawazoe, Y., and Jena, P.: “Penta-graphene: A New Carbon Allotrope”, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 112, 2372 (2015)
Giri, S., Behera, S., and Jena, P.: “Superhalogens as Building Blocks of Halogen-free Electrolytes in Li-ion Batteries”, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53, 13916 (2014)
Jena, P.: “Materials for Hydrogen Storage: Past, Present, and Future”, J. Phys. Chem. Letters (invited) 2, 206 (2011).
Zhou, J., Wang, Q., Sun, Q., Chen, X. S., Kawazoe, Y., and Jena, P.: “Ferromagnetism in semihydrogenated graphene”, Nano Letters 9, 3867 (2009).
Sun, Q. Wang, Q., Jena, P.: Clustering of Ti on C60 surface and its effect on hydrogen storage, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (communication) 127, 14582, (2005).
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
2005-present -Distinguished Professor of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University
2007-2008 – Jefferson Science Fellow and Senior Science Advisor, US Department of State
1986-987- Program Director, Division of Materials Research, National Science Foundation
1982-2005- Professor of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University
1980-82-Associate Professor of Physics, Virginia Commonwealth University
1978-80-Associate Professor of Physics, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan
1977-78-Visiting Scientist, Argonne national Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois
1975-77-Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
1973-75-Research Associate in Physics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
1971-73-Postdoctoral Fellow, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada