Design of Nanostructures for Applications in Energy, Environment and Medicine

Ganguli will first report our research group’s recent work in nanostructured materials on the control of shape and size of nanostructures using microemulsions and related methods [1,2]. We have investigated the detailed mechanism of nanorod formation by studying the growth kinetics by light scattering, electron microscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy [3]. The nanostructures have been chosen for applications in water splitting, control of organic pollutants through photocatalysis using nano-TiO₂, niobates and tantalates and 1-D core-shell structures of semiconductor materials like ZnO@CdS and ZnO@In₂S₃ nanorods [5]. Synergistic effect of CuInS₂ (CIS) and ZnO in nanostructured heterostructures of CuInS₂/ZnO and CuS/ZnO composites provides unique charge carrier separation giving efficient performance in visible light photocatalysis [6].

In our institute we also have a significant interest in problems related to bionanotechnology like cancer therapeutics, targeted drug delivery, online diagnostics and toxicology. Ganguli will present the kind of problems being pursued in these areas by different research teams in our institute.

References:

R. Ranjan et al, Langmuir, 25, 6469 (2009).
A. K. Ganguli, et al, Chem. Soc. Rev., 39, 474 (2010).
S. Sharma, et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134, 19677 (2012).
D. Das, and A K Ganguli, RSC Adv., 3, 24328( 2013).
Sunita, et al, J. Phys. Chem. C., 116, 23653 ( 2012).
M. Basu et al, J. Mater. Chem. A 2, 7517 (2014).