Nanotechnology and Spectroscopy

Emergence in nanotechnology, types of nanomaterials, zero-dimensional, one dimensional, two dimensional, advanced nanomaterials.

Fabrication methods: Bottom-up and top-down approach, solution phase and vapor phase synthesis.

Physical methods- Physical vapour deposition (evaporation, sputtering and plasma processing methods), chemical vapour deposition, epitaxial growth method, ball milling, lithography.

Chemical methods- Sol-gel process, reduction method, self-assembly method, coprecipitation, microemulsion, solvothermal, microwave synthesis, evaporation, template synthesis, sonochemical synthesis, radiation assisted synthesis, chemical etching

Biological methods-Synthesis using microorganisms, biological templates, plants and plant extracts.

Properties of nanomaterials: Structural properties, electronic properties, magnetic properties, electrical properties, optical properties, mechanical properties. Surface energy controlling the different properties of nanomaterials.

Stabilization of nanoparticles: Electrostatic and steric stabilization of nanoparticles, quantum confinement effect.

Carbon nanomaterials: Fullerenes, graphenes, nanotubes.

Principle, Instrumentation and applications of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, X-Ray powder diffraction in the characterization of nanomaterials.

Basic theory of Fuel cell; Hydrogen production and storage; Photoelectrochemical splitting of water; Electrochemical sensors- Enzyme based sensors, affinity biosensors, gas sensors; Catalysis and electrocatalysis, Pharmaceutical industry, Textile, Cosmetics and pollutant removal. Significance and applications of nanomaterials.

UV: Visible molecular absorption spectrometry (instrumentation and application).

NMR Spectroscopy: Theory and applications of ¹H and ¹³CNMR spectroscopy.

Mass & IR Spectroscopy: Theory and applications.

Structural elucidation by UV, IR, NMR & Mass Spectra.