Soft Matter and Nanoscale Materials
Several areas like physical chemistry, chemical engineering, colloid science, fluid mechanics and molecular interactions have converged in recent years into a unified interdisciplinary field called Soft Matter. Examples of soft materials include liquid crystals, colloids, polymers, foams, gels, paints, fine granular materials, flesh, and other biological materials. It has applications in the chemical process industry, food technology and biomedical engineering. In recent years, research in soft matter science is focused on addressing problems such as controlling the self assembly of molecules and colloidal particles into organised macroscopic functional structures. Concepts from soft matter science also are applied in tissue engineering and biomedical technologies such as developing artificial material mimicking tissues, scaffolds, artificial meat, and in development of biosensors. Nanotechnology is the multidisciplinary field, bringing together science and engineering such as applied physics, chemistry, biology, chemical engineering, material science, mechanical engineering, biological engineering, electrical engineering, etc. Nanotechnology involves development of functional nanomaterials for applications in process industry for catalysis and advanced separations, electronics and semi-conductor industry, food science and technology, environmental engineering, tissue engineering, drug delivery systems etc. The research interests of the department in this thrust area are given below.
Current Expertise:
Future Focus:
Research Group:
Current Expertise:
- Emulsification and gelation properties of antimicrobial surfactants
- Stabilization/destabilization mechanisms of emulsions using nanoparticles
- Creations of food gels of controlled physical properties and their application in food products etc.
- Nanomaterials for catalysis, sensors, and environmental science
- Carbon capture and conversion
- Functional membranes for advanced separations
Future Focus:
- Food preservation and food product design
- Encapsulation of pesticides and their controlled delivery in precision agriculture
- Encapsulation of pesticides and their controlled delivery in precision agriculture
- Development of nanomaterials for energy storage and carbon dioxide conversion to valuable products
- Development of nanomaterials for biomedical applications
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