Go Goa for research

Understandably, the sound of Goa conjures up images of sandy beaches, lush greenery, and the wide blue ocean. While you can have leisurely fun in Goa, you can also have fun with research there, as I found out! Earlier this month, I visited the Department of Chemistry at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani K. K. Birla Goa campus to learn about its ongoing work in materials science. I met with Dr. Narendra Nath Ghosh, Associate Professor, whose research interests include: (i) synthesis of nanostructured oxide materials for use in pigments, coatings, toners and inks, wastewater treatment, and even medicine; (ii) advanced mesoporous catalysts, which could be used in oil refining; and (iii) polymer-ceramic nanocomposites, which could possibly be used in bone surgery. Such advanced materials, which can be used in making superior products such as artificial bone and greenhouse gas absorbents, have been identified as one of the UK’s eight great technologies.

In April 2012, Dr. Ghosh was the co-recipient of a research grant under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) – UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) thematic partnerships scheme. Dr. Ghosh is the project leader from the India side, joined by his colleague, Dr. Sunil Bhand, and Prof. C. K. Mitra at the University of Hyderabad. From the UK, Prof. Paul Millner, based in the University of Leeds, is steering the project. This joint research project, under the broad subject area of “advanced materials including nanotechnology”, involves the synthesis and application of magnetic nanoparticle-porous silicate nanocomposites (MN-PSNs) for use as biosensors (e.g. removal of toxic elements such as mercury from biological systems) and catalysts in biofuel (e.g. biodiesel) production.

Dr. Ghosh also introduced me to his other colleagues in the department who are doing interesting research in sensors, porphyrins, catalysis, oxide nanomaterials, polymers, and synthesis of nanomaterials.

BITS in partnership with the University of Leeds (UK) is jointly organising an Indo-UK international workshop on advanced materials and their applications in nanotechnology during May 17-19, 2014 at its Goa campus. The workshop is being jointly sponsored by the aforementioned DST-UKIERI grant. The aim of the workshop is to provide a forum for discussing and exchanging the recent advances in new smart/ intelligent materials and their applications in nanotechnology. Smart materials respond to external stimuli such as temperature and pressure by creating change at the molecular level. A familiar example would be the photochromic sunglasses, which change colour depending on the intensity of the light.

Several topics will be covered during the workshop but broadly, the overarching theme will be the creation and use of advanced and smart materials for biological uses, which could drastically improve the quality of our lives, and extend chemistry into the realm of biology! For more information on the workshop, please contact Dr. Narendra Nath Ghosh.