1. Nanotechnology

   Nano-technology is a promising research area now due the wide range of important applications. Nanoparticles are very small in size and high surface area, due to that they are important in many applications like catalysis, paints, drug delivery, electronics, and so on. Hollow nanoparticles show higher surface area than the normal nanoparticles, therefore, can be used for catalyst or controlled drug delivery. There are limited studies on preparation of hollow nanosphere. The published papers on hollow nanoparticles are produced after removal of metallic core by acid leaching. Hollow nanosphere can be prepared in the W/O microemulsion for better controlled of particle size and shell thickness. We are planning to prepare hollow nanosphere in a new route. We are also preparing magnetic and semiconductor nanoparticles in microemulsion and presence of aqueous surfactants solutions.

2. Study of Surfactant Self Assembly using AFM

   Atomic Force Microscope is the one of the modern instruments, which can generates directly molecular level picture of the adsorbed surfactant molecules on a solid surface. More over, the electrical interaction between the solid surface and the surfactant molecules also can be measured using the Atomic Force Microscope. The main objective of this project is to study the ordered structure of surfactants molecule on mica surface. The reported AFM study of single surfactant system shows cylindrical ordered structure at the solid surface. The self assemble structure of mixed surfactants has not been studied much. In many industrial applications mixed surfactants are used because of better performance, less consumption and economically viable. Most of cases mixed surfactants systems are used after trial and error experiments. The selection of mixed surfactant systems will be easy when the fundamentals of the mixed system will be well explored. The study related to the adsorption of mixed surfactant systems using AFM will improve the knowledge of mechanism of adsorption.

3. Surfactant-Enhanced Soil and Groundwater Remediation

   Contaminated soil and groundwater due to petroleum hydrocarbon and organic solvents have become major environmental issue because of the growing concern about their impact on health and safety, practically for people living close to the affected areas. Since most of the countries used groundwater as a cheap source of drinking water, soil and groundwater pollution is a major environmental issue now-a-days. Recently, among the in situ treatment approaches, surfactant flushing has been recognized as one of the promising technologies. In the surfactant enhanced remediation process understanding of surfactant adsorption on soil and solubilization of organics in the micellar system are very important parameters. Fundamental studies on surfactant adsorption on solid-water interface and solubilization of organics in micellar systems are also useful in many other applications, surfactant enhanced oil recovery, mineral flotation, and detergency and so on. The study will be mainly concentrated on new class of Gemini, natural, and Biosurfactants.

4. Application of surfactants in coal and mineral beneficiation, and slurry transport