Education

Education

2005 – 2008 University of Southampton Southampton, UK

Ph.D. /Electrochemistry in the School of Chemistry Supervisor: Prof. Phil Bartlett (website)

Thesis title: ‘Engineering Substrates for SERS: Fundamentals and Applications’.

- Worked on reproducible electrodeposited (micro-/nano-) structured metallic materials and their applications in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The project was multi-dimensional allowing me to explore the applied as well as fundamental aspects. As an example of developing applications, I worked on hybridization based assays for DNA sequences utilizing SERS transduction on colloidal crystal templated metallic substrates. I also developed a novel method for discriminating mutations in DNA sequences. Using this SERS based methodology it was possible to differentiate a single point mutation from other mutations as well as the wild type sequences. Using electrochemical techniques for measuring surface coverage I showed that detection sensitivities on these SERS substrates can be better than 30 zepto-moles. The work was brought to the stage where it is being evaluated for commercial exploitation. I also worked on label-free assays for detecting and quantifying mutations using electrochemical techniques.

- On the other hand we also tried to understand the link between plasmons and Raman enhancements on structured substrates using optical/spectroscopic techniques. Besides designing substrates based on plasmon matching and optimizing them for different lasers I investigated the fundamental aspects of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering process included studying the continuum emission, called ‘background’, observed in SERS spectra. Among some significant achievements in this area had been the demonstration of near-infrared (NIR) SERS using a 1064 nm laser and tuning of the photonic properties of the substrates for obtaining the maximum enhancement in this wavelength regime. I also demonstrated the contribution of plasmonic enhancements in surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS).

- Developed self-assembly techniques for colloidal polymer spheres. I also worked on surface functionalization methods using thiols and silanes. These were used for modifying the properties of surfaces and also for immobilizing DNA, protein/antibody molecules on them for assay development.

§ Key collaborators

o Prof. Jeremy J. Baumberg, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK

o Prof. Tom Brown, School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, UK

o Prof. Andrea Russell, School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, UK

2003 - 2005 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai, India

Master of Technology/Biomedical Engineering in the School of Biosciences & Bioengineering (website)

- Dissertation spanning over a year was on development of conducting polymer actuator & sensor devices under the supervision of Prof. A. Q. Contractor & Prof. S. Mukerji. Polyaniline and its composites were used for fabrication of devices. The films were grown electrochemically. The volume changes in polyaniline were utilized to transduce chemical signals into mechanical deformation. Actuators were tuned to work in neutral pH solutions by using polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) modified polyaniline. Proof of concept was given of a biosensor using these modified polyaniline based actuators and enzymes embedded in the matrix as the molecular recognition element.

- During the same time, I jointly led a research team for developing a product for water quality monitoring of drinking water. The low cost, portable system had a suite of sensors based on conducting polymer and ion-selective screen-printed electrodes. Conductometry and potentiometry were used as the electrochemical techniques. A total of 10 parameters could be evaluated within a few minutes. Several prototypes were developed based on market survey targeting potential consumers.

- Obtained a cumulative Performance Index of 9.83 on 10

1993 - 1998 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, India (website)

Master of Science (Integrated) in Chemistry

The integrated program is a unique 5 year undergraduate degree. Besides the major, it also provides a solid foundation in physics, mathematics and core engineering subjects. The first 2 years are primarily devoted to physics, mathematics and engineering while the latter 3 are focussed on chemistry. In addition, through optional modules one is encouraged to study humanities, business and entrepreneurship. My options outside chemistry were in chemical engineering, ethics of design, accounting etc. Some of my options in chemistry were biological chemistry, biochemistry and molecular spectroscopy.

- For my M. Sc. dissertation I was awarded a Proficiency Prize as it was adjudged the best in the class. The research work under the supervision of Prof. T. K. Chandrashekar was on ‘Synthesis, characterization and application of core-modified Sapphyrins’. (Sapphyrins are five-membered analogs of porphyrins).

- Obtained a cumulative Performance Index of 7.7 on 10 for the undergraduate degree

- Obtained four publications in international journals out of the research work carried out