The board research objective of our group is to develop newly designed functional polymers for their potential applications in the field of biomedical sciences and environmental remediation. Interdisciplinary approaches have been adopted that include organic chemistry/nanotechnology/physical chemistry/molecular biology to synthesize functional polymers like polymeric gels, amphiphilic copolymers, polymeric photocatalysts, and polymeric flocculants.
Stimuli responsive chemically / physically crosslinked gels
Stimuli-responsive hydrogels/nanogels are soft materials that can change their structure or mechanical properties in response to environmental triggers. These gels can be used for a variety of biomedical applications such as drug delivery, hemostasis, biosensors, wound healing and so on.
Stimuli responsive polymeric self-assembly
Stimuli-responsive amphiphilic copolymers are a type of smart materials that can change their composition or conformation when exposed to triggers inside or outside the cell. These triggers can include variations in light, heat, or pH. They are found to be efficient to deliver hydrophobic drugs.
Polymeric flocculant
Flocculation is a process by which an external reagent is added to the contaminated water that facilitates bonding between suspended particles. This forms larger aggregates, which are easier to separate. The polymeric flocculants are widely used in the wastewater treatment plants.
Polymeric photocatalysts
Photocatalysts are converting solar energy into chemical energy. Polymeric photocatalysts demonstrate excellent efficacy towards the environmental remediation through degradation of toxic pollutants present in the wastewater/effluent.