Nanotechnology Research Interest Group was formally announced in January 2007 by the Director, Dr. T.R.G. Nair, Research Industry and Incubation centre, Dayanand Sagar Institutions, Bangalore and this is the current topical theme. Dr. Y.S. Ramaswamy, Research Professor is heading this group.. Nanotechnology is one of the frontier areas which human kind has decided to explore in the recent past that ranges from biology to material science. The field of nanotechnology opens up multi faceted opportunities for innovations. The group concentrates on the synthesis of nano materials, study of nano bio properties and bio informatics. Significant progress has been made in material sciences, where ZnO is taken as the focus of study.

Nanotechnology research is focused on exploring novel synthetic strategies for various materials down the size scale. Currently the group is interested in the investigations of multiple morphologies of ZnO nanoforms with regard to syntheses, characterization and the potential applications of ZnO nanoforms. Development of indigenous metal catalyst coatings on substrates suitable for electronic devices is our extended interest.

Nanotechnology is a thrust area of research bound to revolutionize the very facet of our civilization. Nano-Science and Nano-Technology envisage the realization of broad and varied materials, tools and approaches for handling them for the production of electronic devices. In this direction, the research work at RIIC, DSI pertains to the synthetic strategies, characterization, exploration and utilization of the exotic nano-structured materials like SWNT’s and MWNT’s of carbon as well as the versatile ZnO nano-multitudes.

Currently interested in

1. Nano systems and their explorations , the investigations of multiple morphologies of ZnO nanoforms.
2. Development of indigenous metal catalysts, Coatings (Au thin film) on substrates (Si, Quartz and Sapphire) suitable for electronic devices.
3. Doping with suitable transition metal ions.
   The manipulation of ZnO nano systems by fine tuning the critical band gap (energy of 3.37eV)  of this unique semiconductor by doping with divalent transition metal ions (Mn2+, Co2+ and Ni2+) leading to novel nano systems that enhance the performance of the electronic devices.
4. Development of ZnO pressure sensors
   ZnO has been recognized as one of the key materials in Oxide-Electronics. ZnO nanowires are extremely sensitive even to tiny forces in the nano- to pico-newton range. This key material is used to make ZnO pressure sensors that can even be implanted in the body owing to its biocompatibility.
5. Development strategies for structure identification for desired chemical compound binding in Proteins

The long term vision of nano-science and nano-technology is essentially the realization of fabrication of a wide range of materials and products with atomic precision that envisage controlled sequence of operations to manipulate these tiny structures.

• Dr. N..Nagaraju, Chairman of P.G Centre, St. Josephs College, Bangalore and the University of Brussels delivered lectures on “Synthesis of Carbon Nano tubes by Chemical Vapour Deposition Method” on 5-1-2008 and 12-1-2008.
• Dr. Rahul Rao, Engineer (Technical support) Molecular and Micro analysis division”, Horiba – Jobin Yuon Inc, New Jersy delivered a lecture on “Synthesis and Characteristics of nano materials” on 09-01-08.
• Dr. R.V. Anantha Murthy, Technical Consultant in Crystal growth for the multinational company Saint – Gobain Crystals, Bangalore delivered special lectures on “Crystal growth” on 26-07-08 and 06-08-08.

Conferences

• Basavaraj S Devaramani , Ramaswamy Y S, Babu Manjasetty and T.R.Gopalakrishnan Nair - “ ZnO Nano forms : The state-of-the-art of synthetic strategies” Proceedings of Team Tech – 2008 , September 22-24, 2008 (In Press).
• Babu Manjasetty, Basavaraj S Devaramani and Ramaswamy Y S – The novelty of Synthesis and Varied applications of ZnO nano systems., Frontiers in Chemical Research Conference, Mangalore , December 2008.

Journal Publications

• Babu Manjasetty, T.R.Gopalakrishnan and Ramaswamy Y S – Structure and Dynamics of Biological systems” Journal of Research & Industry, 2008 (Volume 1Issue 1)

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERISATION OF CARBON NANO TUBES – Dr. Y.S.Ramaswamy and Dr. T.R.Gopalakrishnan Nair proposal submitted under Research Promotion Scheme, RPS -2007 AICTE, New Delhi.