Upon returning to India in 1889, Ray joined Presidency College as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. His most celebrated discovery occurred in , when he accidentally synthesized mercurous nitrite , a stable compound that had previously eluded chemists. This breakthrough earned him the title "Master of Nitrites" from prominent British chemist Henry H. Armstrong. Key scientific contributions included:
Born on August 2, 1861, in the village of (now in Bangladesh), Prafulla Chandra Ray was the son of Harish Chandra Ray, a cultured landlord with a deep interest in literature and modern education. Ray's early education began in his village school, later moving to Hare School in Calcutta. life story of acharya prafulla chandra ray pdf download
His academic journey faced a major hurdle when he suffered from a severe bout of dysentery, forcing him to leave school for two years. However, he used this period as a extensively reading history, literature, and geography in his father’s library. He eventually returned to conventional education, passing his matriculation from Albert School and later studying at Metropolitan Institution (now Vidyasagar College) and Presidency College . Upon returning to India in 1889, Ray joined
In 1882, Ray won the prestigious , enabling him to study at the University of Edinburgh . There, he obtained his B.Sc. in 1885 and a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in 1887 for his research on conjugated sulfates. Scientific Breakthroughs: The "Master of Nitrites" Armstrong