Research Focus
My research is centred on sustainable valorisation of agricultural residues, with a core emphasis on nanomaterial development, bioprocessing, and circular economy applications. I employ biological conversion routes and green chemistry to extract value from rice straw, addressing both environmental waste management and agricultural sustainability.
Ph.D. Research Overview
Topic: Efficient Bio-valorization of Rice Straw via Integrated Fungal Biorefinery: Linking Lignocellulose Fractionation and Nanomaterial Development for Sustainable Agricultural Application
Key Highlights:
Developed an integrated biorefinery system using mushroom cultivation to pre-treat rice straw.
Extracted nanocellulose (CNFs), lignin nanoparticles (LiNPs), and silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) from post-harvest mushroom substrate.
Synthesized nanocomposite hydrogels using PVA-based matrices for slow-release urea fertilisers.
Conducted comprehensive physico-chemical characterisation (FTIR, SEM, TEM, XRD, TGA, BET, Zeta Potential).
Evaluated agronomic performance of the developed fertilisers in lab-scale plant trials.
Research Themes
Agricultural Waste Biovalorization
Converting rice straw into high-value bio-based nanomaterials.
Green Nanotechnology
Synthesizing and characterizing CNFs, LiNPs, SiNPs through eco-friendly processes.
Smart Fertilizer Systems
Developing biodegradable nanocomposite hydrogels for controlled nutrient delivery.
Circular Economy & Sustainability
Integrating waste-to-resource strategies for closed-loop agricultural systems.
Tools & Techniques
Material Characterisation: FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, BET, Zeta Potential
Statistical Analysis & Visualisation: R, OpenLCA, Origin, ImageJ
Process Development: Biomass pre-treatment, solvent extraction, hydrogel synthesis
Agronomic Evaluation: Plant growth trials, nutrient uptake analysis, soil interaction studies
Research Goals
Promote climate-resilient agriculture through bio-based innovations.
Build scalable low-carbon technologies for waste-to-resource platforms.
Collaborate across disciplines to bridge material science, biotechnology, and sustainability.