Dr. Virendra Vikram Singh | Defence Research and Development Establishment | India
Dr. Virendra Vikram Singh is a distinguished scientist in analytical chemistry and nanobioelectronics, recognized for his extensive contributions to the development of advanced detection and detoxification technologies for toxic chemicals. He completed his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry in 2011, followed by a prestigious Post-Doctoral tenure at the University of California, San Diego under world-renowned scientist Prof. Joseph Wang, where he advanced micromotor-based sensing, detoxification, and nanoengineered materials. Over his professional career at the Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE), Ministry of Defence, he has served as Scientist B through Scientist E, leading research in NBC defence technologies, electrochemical methodologies, protective textiles, nanostructured materials, and environmental/clinical sensors. His expertise spans nanomotors, molecularly imprinted polymers, metal–organic and covalent–organic frameworks, graphene-based systems, ionic liquid technologies, quantum dots, conducting polymers, and ultra-trace measurement tools. Dr. Singh has played a key role in product development for national defence, including electrochemical agent detectors, NBC Suit Mk-V, NBC haversacks, naval filters, and advanced canisters for chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals. His impactful research has gained international visibility, highlighted by top scientific outlets including Science, BBC, Royal Society of Chemistry, and Nanowerk. With 46 publications, 2,548 citations, and an h-index of 24, he stands among the globally recognized top 2% scientists (Stanford University ranking). Throughout his career, he has received numerous prestigious awards, including the DRDO Young Scientist Award, ISCB Young Scientist Award, multiple DRDE excellence awards, hot-topic recognitions by Wiley-VCH, and major innovation awards by Indian scientific bodies. A reviewer for leading journals such as Nanoscale, Small, Analyst, and Chemistry of Materials, he maintains active professional memberships in several national scientific societies and contributes to standardization as part of BIS committees. His work continues to advance India’s scientific and defence capabilities through cutting-edge sensor technologies, nanomaterials, and real-world detoxification solutions.
Featured Publications
Verma, A., Singh, V. V., Pandey, L. K., Upadhyay, S., Thakare, V. B., & Shukla, P. K. (2025). Ionic liquid–carbon hybrid material for toxic gas removal: A sustainable approach for environmental cleanup. Chemical Engineering Journal, 468, 159785.
Verma, A., Singh, V. V., Ahirwar, R., Pandey, L. K., Upadhyay, S., Thakare, V. B., Agrawal, K., Kumar, R., & Kumar, Y. (2024). Zirconium hydroxide–activated carbon hybrid material for chemical warfare agent detoxification: Implication of water and temperature. Diamond and Related Materials, 146, 111754.
Singh, V. V., Verma, A., Pandey, L. K., Bharati, S., Sharma, P. K., Ganesan, K., Boopathi, M., & Thakare, V. B. (2023). Metal–organic-framework composite-based rapid self-detoxifying smart textile filters for chemical warfare agents. In Sensing of deadly toxic chemical warfare agents, nerve agent simulants, and their toxicological aspects (Chap. 27).
Kashyap, B. K., Singh, V. V., Solanki, M. K., Kumar, A., Ruokolainen, J., & Kesari, K. K. (2023). Smart nanomaterials in cancer theranostics: Challenges and opportunities. ACS Omega, 8(16), 13916–13932.
Singh, V. V. (2022). Technology trends and future opportunities in development of NBC protective clothing. Defence Life Science Journal, 7(3), 189–196.
Imran, M., Singh, V. V., Garg, P., Mazumder, A., Pandey, L. K., Sharma, P. K., Acharya, J., & Ganesan, K. (2021). In-situ detoxification of schedule-I chemical warfare agents utilizing Zr(OH)₄@W-ACF functional material for the development of next generation NBC protective gears. Scientific Reports, 11, 24536.
Singh, V. V., Kumar, V., Biswas, U., Boopathi, M., Ganesan, K., & Gupta, A. K. (2021). Luminol-based turn-on fluorescent sensor for selective and sensitive detection of sulfur mustard at ambient temperature. Analytical Chemistry, 93(13), 5353–5361.