Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy (2 August 1861 – 16 June, 1944) was a gigantic personality in the scientific and socio-economic textures of India. Nicknamed Father of Indian Chemistry, his contributions always transcended the laboratory walls and were felt in the industrial development of this country, education, and also in its national movement.
Early Life and Education
Born in Raruli-Katipara village, Khulna district (now in Bangladesh), Prafulla Chandra Roy always seemed to have an early flair toward intellectual enkindling. The father, Harish Chandra Roy, a progressive landowner, thus made a fertile ground of an environment for learning. Even though he had intermittent closures due to health problems regarding formal schooling, Prafulla Chandra was a voracious reader learning history, science, and literature. This quest for knowledge that he himself built up would serve as a strong foundation for whatever he might undertake academically in future.
President College, Calcutta, where he took higher education, was one of the most prestigious institutions transforming many Indian intellectuals. His love for chemistry really received inspiration from the lectures of Alexander Pedler. Before it, widespread racial discrimination much inherent during the British Raj made it difficult for many Indian, Prafulla Chandra himself excelled award-winning Bachelor of Science with Honors in Chemistry and Physics in 1881 and acquired his Master of Science degree in Chemistry in 1883.
Principal Scientific Work and Discovery of Mercurous Nitrite
What can be rightly called the most significant scientific contribution from Prafulla Chandra Roy is the revolutionary finding of mercurous nitrite, or Hg₂N₂O₂. This new product was prepared in 1896, opposed many theories of chemistry, and made him an international figure. His research papers published in the famous journals like Journal of the Chemical Society made him an eminent scientist in inorganic chemistry. Thereby, this discovery not only showed his scientific prowess but also brought Indian science on a global platform.
In pursuance beyond mercurous nitrite, Roy will contribute to the indepth study of metal nitrites and the hyponitrites. Roy studied their properties and reactions painstakingly, published numerous research papers to advance knowledge regarding these compounds; mentored an entire generation of Indian scientists; and helped create a research-oriented atmosphere in a country that was grossly lacking in this area at that time. He was awarded Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) from the University of Calcutta in 1908 for actual dedication to the cause of science inquiry.