Dr. Abdel-Nasser Kawde

The Kawde Lab is focused on addressing research challenges related to fundamental as well as applied research. Electrochemistry is the heart of any modern technology. Electric cars, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, and diabetes biosensors are electrochemical systems. Kawde research team examines how to employ electrochemistry for various applications utilizing various nanomaterials, e.g., graphene, metal & metal oxide nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes. The research on electrochemical properties of graphene (as 2D material) is particularly attractive because of the high electron conductivity, fast heterogeneous electron transfer rate, and high surface area, represent advantageous features for the fabrication of improved electrochemical devices.

On the other hand, biomolecules analysis is a topic of high importance for many applications in various fields such as medicine, security, forensic science, or environmental protection. There is an enormous need in the market for new devices for the detection of DNA and protein, which can provide a fast and reliable response, allowing at the same time in-situ analysis. A biosensor is an ideal tool that can fulfill all the requirements mentioned above. In Kawde Lab, they combine the outstanding performance of graphene as transducer material with the high sensitivity of various electrochemical techniques for the label-free detection of biomolecules. To obtain a final product that will be integrated into a portable device for simple and rapid diagnostics.

In a nutshell, Kawde research interest is within the development and characterization of electroanalytical sensors/biosensors for various applications including, yet not limited to, electroanalytical sensors for environmental monitoring, immunosensors and enzyme electrodes developments, DNA and protein recognition and diagnostics, development of sensors, biosensors and devices for clinical monitoring (e.g., Diabetes and breast cancer), and fundamental aspects of biorecognition and electrochemical transduction events. They carry out fundamental research on why (or why not) are the materials electrocatalytic and modify with various nanomaterials to increase its catalytic activities toward different analytes and applications.