Education

• Ph.D. (University of Pune)
• M.Sc. (CUSAT, Cochin)

Course Offered

Undergraduate: Chemistry, Materials Science and Metallurgy

Postgraduate: Fundamentals of Polymer Science, Aerospace Materials

Experience

• Professor, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India,  2016 February-present.
• Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, February 2009- January, 2016.
• Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, September, 2007-January, 2009.
• Principal Investigator, project under Women Scientist Scheme of DST at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, India, August 2004 to July 2007.
• Research Associate of CSIR at SCTIMST, October 2002 to July 2004.
• Post Doctoral Fellow at SCTIMST, June 2000 to June 2002.
• Research Fellow of CSIR at National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, April 1994 to March 1999.

Research Work / Area

Area of Research:
Step growth polymers, Polymers for medical applications, Hydrogels for tissue engineering.Nanofibers for biomedical applications, polysaccharide based nanomaterials for drug delivery applications, light emitting polymers, nanocoposites

Research work:
Step growth polymers: Melt polycondensation, solid state polymerization and morphological studies. Polymers for medical applications: Synthesis, characterization and modification of polymers for medical applications. Hydrogels for tissue engineering and drug delivery. Polymers with antibacterial properties. In situ forming hydrogels as surgical adhesives. Surface modification of polymers for improved tissue and blood compatibility. Polymers with radiocontrast properties for X-ray imaging. Gelatin based electrospun nanofibers for tissue engineering applications. Polysaccharide based nanomaterials such as conjugates, polyelectrolyte complexes and nanogels for targeted drug delivery. Nanocomposites based on electrospun polymers. Light emitting polymers for OLED applications:  

Funded Project

• Study of silicon polymer nanofiber as anode material for lithium batteries (Sponsored by IIST, PI: Dr. Sandhya K. Y (IIST). Dr. Nirmala R James in collaboration with Dr. Ilangoavn S.A, Smt Sujatha (VSSC), ongoing)
• Development and feasibility study of polymeric scaffold for tissue culture under microgravity (Sponsored by IIST, collaborative project with SCTIMST, Thiruvananthapuram,Co-PI : Dr. Anilkumar P. R (SCTIMST), Completed)
• Modified Polysaccharides for medical applications (sponsored by DST, completed).
• Radiopaque polyurethanes for biomedical applications (sponsored by CSIR, completed).

Publications:

• Development of Structure and Morphology during Crystallization and Solid State Polymerization Polyester Oligomers, N. R. James, C. Ramesh and S. Sivaram, Macromol. Chemistry and Physics, 202, 1200 (2001).
• Studies on Simultaneous and Solid State Polymerization and Exchange Reactions of PET-PEN Oligomer Blends. N. R. James, C. Ramesh and S. Sivaram, Macromol. Chemistry and Physics, 202: 2267 (2001).
• Studies on the Crystallization and Melting Behaviour of Poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate). Nirmala. R. James, E. B. Gowd, C. Ramesh and S. Sivaram, Int. J. Pol. Mater., 50: 335 (2001)     
•  Liquid induced crystallization of poly(ethylene naphthalate) oligomers, Nirmala. R. James, C. Ramesh and S. Sivaram , Polymer,43: 1559 (2002)
• Preparation and Evaluation of photo crosslinkable chitosan as a drug delivery matrix, S.R. Jameela, S.Lakshmi, Nirmala R. James and A. Jayakrishnan, Journal of App. Polym. Sci., 86:1873 (2002)
• Synthesis, Polymerization and Copolymerization of an Aliphatic Vinyl Azide. Nirmala. R. James and A. Jayakrishnan, Journal of App. Polym. Sci., 87:1852 (2003)
•  Synthesis and polymerization of a new iodine-containing monomer. S. Lakshmi, Nirmala R. James, V.S. Nisha and A. Jayakrishnan, Journal of App. Polym.Sci. 88: 2580 (2003)
• Surface thiocyanation of poly(vinyl chloride) and its effect on bacterial adhesion. Nirmala R. James and A.Jayakrishnan, Biomaterials,  24: 2205 (2003)
• Crystallization and solid-state polymerization of poly(aryl ester)s. Nirmala R. James, C. Ramesh and S Sivaram . Polymer International, 53: 664 (2004)
• Tween 20-modified poly(vinyl chloride) exhibits enhanced blood-compatibility. B. Balakrishnan, Nirmala R James and A. Jayakrishnan. Polymer International, 54: 1304 (2005)
• Polyurethanes with radioapque properties. Nirmala R James and A Jayakrishnan, Biomaterials , 27:160 (2006)
• On Imparting Radiopacity to a Poly(urethane urea). Nirmala R James and A Jayakrishnan, Biomaterials, 28:3182(2007)
• A photochemical method for immobilization of azidated dextran onto aminated poly(ethylene terephthalate) surfaces, Venugopal T Bhat, Nirmala R James, A Jayakrishnan, Polymer International, 57:124 (2008)
• Synthesis and characterization of iodinated polyurethane with inherent radiopacity  S. Kiran, Nirmala R. James , Roy Joseph, A. Jayakrishnan, Biomaterials , 30 :5552 (2009)
• Polyurethane thermoplastic elastomers with inherent radiopacity for biomedical applications.  S Kiran, NR James, A Jayakrishnan, R Joseph. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, 12:3472 (2012)
• Modified gum arabic cross-linked gelatin scaffold for biomedical applications. P.R. Sarika , Kuriakose Cinthya , A. Jayakrishnan , P.R. Anilkumar , Nirmala Rachel James. Materials Science and Engineering C 43: 272 (2014)
• Modified dextran cross-linked electrospun gelatin nanofibres for biomedical applications. Jalaja, K., Kumar, P. R. A., Dey, T., Kundu, S. C., & James, N. R. Carbohydrate Polymers 114: 467 (2014).
• A non-adhesive hybrid scaffold from gelatin and gum Arabic as packed bed matrix for hepatocyte perfusion culture. P.R. Sarika , C.V. Sidhy Viha , R.G. Sajin Raj , Rachel James Nirmala , P.R. Anil Kumar, Materials Science and Engineering C 46: 341 (2015)
• Galactosylated pullulan–curcumin conjugate micelles for site specifi canticancer activity to hepatocarcinoma cells.  P.R. Sarika, Nirmala Rachel James, N. Nishna, P.R. Anil Kumar, Deepa K. Raj, Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 133: 347 (2015)
•  Cationized gelatin/gum arabic polyelectrolyte complex: Study of electrostatic interactions. P.R. Sarika , Anupama Pavithran , Nirmala Rachel James,  Food  Hydrocolloids49: 176 (2015)
• Preparation and characterisation of gelatin–gum arabic aldehydenanogels via inverse miniemulsion technique.  P.R. Sarika, Nirmala Rachel James, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 76: 181 (2015)
• Nanogels based on alginic aldehyde and gelatin by inverse miniemulsion technique: synthesis and characterization.  P.R. Sarika, P.R. Anil Kumar, Deepa K. Raj, Nirmala Rachel James,Carbohydrate Polymers 119: 118 (2015)
• A facile cross-linking approach using oxidized sucrose. Jalaja, K., & James, N. R. Electrospun gelatin nanofibers: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 73:  270 (2015)
• Potential of Electrospun Graphene Oxide-Gelatin Composite Nanofibers for Biomedical Applications. Jalaja, K., & James, N. R. Materials Science Forum 830: 581(2015)
• Gum arabic-curcumin conjugate micelles with enhanced loading for curcumin delivery to hepatocarcinoma cells. Sarika P. R, Anil Kumar P. R, Nirmala Rachel James Carbohydrate Polymers 134: 167(2015)
• Electrospun Cationized  Gelatin Nanofibers: A green Fabrication Approach for Tissue Regenerations. Jalaja, K., Naskar,D., Kundu,S.C., & James, N. R., RSC Advances  5: 89521 (2015)
• Potential of Coaxially Electrospun Core-Shell Structured Gelatin-Chitosan Nanofibers Cross-linked by Natural Molecules for Biomedical Applications. Jalaja, K., Naskar,D., Kundu,S.C., & James, N. R., Carbohydrate polymers  136: 1098 (2016)
• Microgravity as means to incorporate HepG2 aggregates in polysaccharide-protein hybrid scaffold. Sarika P. R, Nirmala R James, Anilkumar P. R, Deepa K Raj and T.V Kumari, Journal of Materials Science , Materials in Medicine 27: 1(2016)
• Galactosylated alginate - curcumin micelles for enhanced delivery of curcumin to hepatocytes. Sarika P.R, Nirmala Rachel James, Anil Kumar P.R and Deepa K. Raj, International Journal of biological Macromolecules 86: 1(2016)
• Graphene oxide decorated electrospun gelatin nanofibers: Fabrication properties and applications. Jalaja K, Sreehari V S, Anil Kumar P R and Nirmala R James,Materials Science and Engineering C 64: 11 (2016)
• Preparation, characterization and biological evaluation of curcumin loaded alginate aldehyde–gelatin nanogels. Sarika PR, Nirmala Rachel James, Anil Kumar P.R, Deepa K. Raj, Materials Science and Engineering C 68: 251(2016)
• Curcumin loaded gum arabic aldehyde-gelatin nanogels for breastcancer therapy.Sarika PR and Nirmala Rachel James, Materials Science and Engineering C 65: 331–337(2016) 
• Polyelectrolyte complex nanoparticles from cationisedgelatin and sodium alginate for curcumin delivery. Sarika P.R and Nirmala Rachel James,. Carbohydrate Polymers 148: 354(2016).
• • Progress in electrospun polymer composite fibers for microwave absorption and   electromagnetic interference shielding. GK Sharma, NR James,.  ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 3: 4657-4680 (2021)

   

  • Reinforcement of electrospun polyurethane fibers with resorcinol–formaldehyde resin. KS Nair, NR James,. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 139: 52007 (2022)

   

  • Carbon black incorporated carbon nanofiber based polydimethylsiloxane composite for electromagnetic interference shielding. GK Sharma, NR James,. Carbon Trends 8: 100177 (2022),

   

  • Electrospun Gelatin Nanofibres—Fabrication, Cross-linking and Biomedical Applications: A Review.  Govind Kumar Sharma, K Jalaja, PR Ramya, Nirmala Rachel James,. Biomedical Materials and Devices 1: 553(2022),

   

  • Flexible N-Doped Carbon Nanofiber-Polydimethylsiloxane Composite Containing La_0.85Sr₀.₁₅CoO_3−δ Nanoparticles for Green EMI Shielding. GK Sharma, NR James,. ACS Applied Nano Materials 6: 6024 (2023)

                   

  • Highly flexible , PEDOT: PSS-polyvinylpyrrolidone coated carbon nanofiber-polydimethylsiloxane composite for electromagnetic interference shielding. GK Sharma, NR James,. Synthetic Metals 296:117376 (2023)

                              

  • Flexible N-doped carbon nanofiber containing Nb2O5 nanoparticle and its polydimethylsiloxane composite for electromagnetic interference shielding. GK Sharma, PG Harel, NR James,. Carbon 214:118367 (2023)

   

  • Recent Progress in Poly (3, 4‐Ethylene Dioxythiophene): Polystyrene Sulfonate Based Composite Materials for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding. GK Sharma, SL Joseph, NR James,. Advanced Materials Technologies 9: 230120 (2024)

   

  • Tellurium Nanoparticles Incorporated into Electrospun Poly (acrylonitrile) Nanofibers, Followed by Carbonization and Their Poly (dimethylsiloxane) Composites for EMI shielding applications. GK Sharma, SL Joseph, MS Athira, NR James,. ACS Applied Nano Materials 7: 5819-5830 (2024)

   

  • Aligned carbon nanofibers containing barium titanate and their polydimethylsiloxane composites for electromagnetic interference shielding  GK Sharma, NR James Carbon 220: 118846 (2024)   

   

  • Development, characterization and radiation dosimetry evaluation of Bovine gelatin crosslinked with Gum Arabic Aldehyde as brain phantom gel material in radiation therapy. TN Thankachan, NR James, JP John, BR Bijini,.  Radiation Physics and Chemistry 229:,112416 (2025)

• Inhibition of Transreactions in Condensation Polymers, N. R. James, S. S. Mahajan and S. Sivaram, Chapter 6, Transreactions in Condensation Polymers Stoyko Fakirov (Ed.), WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH.