Background

Dr Smita Acharya is a Professor at the Department of Physics, RTM Nagpur University. She obtained her Ph.D (2008) from RTM Nagpur University. She is recipient of C V Raman Post-Doc fellowship to work at Pennsylvania  State University, USA (2016) and Summer Research Fellowship of Indian National Science Academy, India  (2007).

Her fields of research are understanding (i) ion diffusion mechanism in solid state ionic conductors, (ii) effect of defect clustering on ionic conductivity, (iii) thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transition, (iv) reduction of phase transition temperature of nanostructured materials by using cationic and anionic surfactant.  (v) modulation of spin exchange interaction in orthoferrites systems. Her current focus of research development of complex functional oxide system as Energy Materials, Electrodes and electrolytes materials for Fuel cell, sensors and composite multiferroic etc. She has authored above 60 SCI journal publication and 4 books chapter. She has supervised 11 Ph.Ds and 4 Ph.Ds are ongoing. She has completed over 10 sponsored research project having cost Rs 2.50 crore funded by DST, SERB, UGC, DRDO, BRNS, UGC-DAE-CSR, ICDD-USA etc and currently handling 3 projects.

Some of her important research contributions

• She has initiated the field of low temperature synthesis and processing of complex oxide systems. She has not only developed series of advanced functional oxides materials using this route, but also has made key. 

• She has developed wide varieties of nanostructured oxy-ion conductors with exceptional oxy-ion conductivity and demonstrated their technological viability as electrolytes of solid oxide fuel cell to improve its performance. She has developed solid oxide fuel cell (SOFCs) for NRB-DRDO laboratory and delivered to cross-check technical viability.

• She has done pioneering work in designing experiment to demonstrate in-situ oxy-ion diffusion mechanism in solid state oxy-ion conductors at SOFCs operating conditions by using EXAFS and Raman spectroscopy techniques.

• She has made significant contribution to reduce phase transition temperature by around (1000oC) of II-VI group compound semiconductors by using various cationic and anionic surfactant.

• She has contributed to International centre for crystallographic data (ICDD), USA by developing Novel crystallographic data of complex oxide systems.

She received several research awards;

• Raman Fellowship, UGC New Delhi

• Young Scientist award, DST, New Delhi

• Career Awards for Young Scientist-2007 – AICTE, New Delhi.

• Research Fellowship jointly sponsored by National Science Academy, New Delhi and Indian Academy of science, Bangalore for a year -2007.

She has active national and international research collaborations with the following reputed institutions;

• UGC-DAE CSR Indore, M.P., India

• Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore

• Indian Institute of science Education and Research, Pune

• Chemistry group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam.

• Pennsylvania State University, USA, India

• Institute of Energy and climate change, Forchunszentrum Julich GMBH, Germany