Formats for submission of projects

Strengthening of basic research in India by this project

The proposed project would look at both bulk solution and structured templates, like emulsions and dendrimers, for synthesis of nanoparticles of controlled size, shape and composition. Therefore, it would address the very important mechanism of assembly (nucleation and growth of clusters and molecules) and interactions (particle growth by diffusion and reaction) at nano and mesoscopic length scales. It would also provide us with a handle to synthesize materials at nanoscale by experimental parameters specified a-priori.

The second aspect it will explore is differential functionalization of a porous carbon surface so as to make some regions of the material more interactive towards metal deposition, and thereby engineer a more favourable biotic-abiotic interaction with E. coli bacteria.

This work will also be able to address various fundamental scientific issues which are key to understanding interfacial and system size effects in nanomaterials and have implications beyond the systems investigated presently. Firstly, what is the precise role of restricting mixing and reaction in a confined space of the dendrimer, when these confined reaction-pockets occasionally communicate by Brownian collision, in comparison to a bulk situation, where communication is by turbulent mixing at micrometer length scales. Also the precise role of different surface groups on controlling molecular interaction will bear out by their direct influence on controlling the location of the nanoparticle – which can be either on the external surface of AC or in the internal pores of AC. Secondly, what is the possibility of heterogeneous nucleation of silver nanoparticles inside the pores? Thirdly, how is diffusion and adsorption of small molecules and nanoparticles in a porous structure dependent on the pore geometry and pore size? Finally, how does a nanoparticle or guest molecule impregnate itself into the pores? This will be controlled by capillary forces and wetting characteristics of the aqueous solution on the walls of the internal pores.