Simple and portable spectrochemical probe for rapid detection of chlorides ions in water
Dr Nimai Mishra, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, along with his research group comprising of students pursuing PhD under him, Ms V.G.Vasavi Dutt and Mr Syed Akhil has published a research article titled Cesium Lead Bromide Perovskite Nanocrystals as a Simple and Portable Spectrochemical Probe for Rapid Detection of Chlorides in the Journal ChemistrySelect (Publisher: Wiley-VCH on behalf of Chemistry Europe, Impact Factor-2.2).
Chloride anions are widely abundant in water and when they combine with calcium, potassium, and magnesium, they form chloride salts. However, the higher concentrations badly affect the environment by causing severe dehydration and even plant death. High concentrations of sodium chloride exhibit the potential of corrosive damage thereby releasing toxic metals from plumbing fixtures. Hence, there is a need to monitor the concentration levels of chloride salts in water. Several techniques like titration, spectrophotometry, ion chromatography, electrochemistry, etc have been reported to date. Despite the high accuracy and precision of these techniques, they involve expensive instrumentation and is out of reach from on-site detection. Hence, it is necessary to look for simple, portable, and cost-effective strategies for the detection of chlorides in the water.
In this article, Dr Mishra’s research group demonstrated that the wide spectral tunability of CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) via instantaneous and facile anion exchange, make them a suitable candidate for chloride detection. Rapid anion-exchange processes between CsPbBr3 perovskite NCs and different chloride solutions were carried out in ambient conditions. The resultant anion-exchanged CsPbCl3-xBrx NCs preserved the structural properties and exhibited a remarkable blue shift in photoluminescence spectra. This forms a basis for the detection of chloride ions in water. This has been applied with the limit of detection up to 100 µM. The detection strategies were not only limited to the direct addition of chloride solutions to NCs, but they also showed a visual colour change under UV light when the chloride solution is drop-casted on CsPbBr3 films that are deposited on glass substrates. Furthermore, the detection strategy is established by drop-casting CsPbBr3 NCs onto paper strips that are pre-soaked in chloride solutions. A considerable blue shift in fluorimetry proves them to be an excellent sensing medium as practical spectrochemical probes for on-site detection of chlorides. Based on this, a colour chart and selectivity chart to access the presence of chlorides and their concentration is also demonstrated.
- Published in Chemistry-news, Departmental News, News, Research News
Electric vehicles are the future of India: Daimler Buses India CEO
Karl-Alexander Seidel at Freshers Orientation 2021, SRM University-AP
Mr Karl-Alexander Seidel, CEO and Head of Daimler Bus, India at Daimler India Commercial Vehicles interacted with the freshers of SRM University-AP in a session organised as part of the Orientation 2021. In his address to the students, Mr Seidel recollected his university days, love for automotive and the challenges he faced in contributing to Euro 6 emission standards.
While answering a question put forward by students, Mr Seidel said that strong theoretical knowledge along with interpersonal skills such as teamwork which lead to cocreation is what he appreciates in job seekers. As the CEO of a company that is a subsidiary of German multinational automotive corporation Daimler, he said he would recruit people who have a vision, creativity and pioneering spirit wanting to do something bigger and better. “I see electric vehicles as the future of India. The infrastructure required for driverless cars is currently a challenge in Indian cities” Mr Seidel said. “If you can come up with solutions to make autonomous driving happen in India, our company will be happy to have you on board”, he added, encouraging the inquisitive minds of SRM University-AP.
Vice-Chancellor Prof V S Rao recollected his industry visit to Daimler in Germany and how impressed he was about the perfection of the workers and the discipline that ensures quality. He expressed his interest in conducting online research internships with the best companies and facilities abroad in association with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles. Mr Vivekanandan, Associate Director, Department of Corporate Relations and Career Services expressed his sincere gratitude on behalf of the university. “We are extremely glad that Mr Seidel could inspire the freshers and incite dreams for an innovative future”, he added. Mr Laxmanan Angu Raju, Senior Manager from the Department of CR&CS was present during the occasion.
- Published in CR&CS, CR&CS NEWS, News
Mechanical Engineering students soar to Ather Energy
Chirag Vinodkumar Menon and Mudireddy Raviteja Reddy, two vibrant students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, have been placed in Ather Energy with a CTC of ₹10.00 LPA. The Ather 450Xur and Ather 450 Plus are two electric scooters that the company manufactures. Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain established Ather Energy Pvt. Ltd., an Indian electric car startup, in 2013. It has also founded the Ather Grid electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country.
Let’s look into what our students say about their placement experience!
Chirag Vinodkumar Menon
For me, this job offer from Ather Energy is a dream come true. This is everything I ever expected for my first job and I can’t be happier. As soon as I saw the job offer, I started to prepare for my logic and technical assessment. The coursework provided by CDC was very helpful and the domain training lessons provided by the college helped me cinch the assessments. After I received news that I am selected for the technical interview, I immediately started focusing on my projects, which are innovative and relevant, as a result of repeated consult with the esteemed faculty of SRM University-AP. Their guidance is a vital reason why my projects have been a success, despite remotely working due to the pandemic. I consulted with my teammates and friends as well and as a result of efforts and determination, I have been able to crack the final HR interview.
The mock interviews conducted by the CR&CS department helped me refine my answers and my personality as a suitable candidate. My mother also helped me immensely to prepare for my interviews. I thank the CR&CS department for choosing reputed companies and giving me a chance to apply for this job opening and for ensuring the process is as smooth as possible. I would like to wish the very best for all my peers and juniors, success in their professional and educational endeavours.
Raviteja Mudireddy
I’m very excited and happy in receiving the job offer from Ather Energy. From the beginning of my B Tech itself, I have had much interest and passion towards automobiles which actuated me to do many projects. This in turn helped me in gaining knowledge in Electric Vehicles and added extra weight to my resume. I extend my gratitude to SRM University-AP for supporting my projects by providing technical assistance and monetary help beyond measure. The Mechanical Engineering curriculum is diversified and helped me gain knowledge in fields like Manufacturing Technology, 3D printing, etc. Of course, my research in EV (Electric Vehicle) Tech has also helped me a lot.
I thank the Placement department for bringing Ather Energy to our campus and guiding me to the HR Round. My message to my juniors in Mechanical Engineering is that the projects and the research work in the undergraduate coursework will differentiate a student from the rest of the crowd. Projects are not just for the marks or grades, they will lead you to get your dream job or even help you to start your own company.
- Published in CR&CS, CR&CS NEWS, Departmental News, Mechanical Engineering NEWS, News
Research scholar gets prestigious scholarship from IRRI
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student of the Department of Biological Sciences at SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, Faraz Azeem, has been awarded a prestigious scholarship by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Manila, Philippines. The scholarship will enable Faraz to carry out a part of his PhD research under the supervision of Dr Jauhar Ali, Senior Scientist-II, Head – Hybrid Rice Development Consortium (HRDC), Leader – Hybrid Rice Breeding Cluster, Rice Breeding Platform, International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, Philippines, for a period of one year and four months.
Faraz joined SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, in January 2021 and is working on “Understanding the genetics and molecular biology of nitrogen-use efficiency in rice” under the guidance of Prof Jayaseelan Murugaiyan, HoD, Department of Biological Sciences, SRM University-AP. Dr P Sathyanarayanan, President; Prof V S Rao, Vice-Chancellor; Prof D Narayana Rao, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of SRM University-AP congratulated Faraz for this accomplishment.
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is a global agricultural research and training organisation with offices in seventeen countries and headquarters in Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. IRRI is well-known for its role in producing rice varieties that contributed to the 1960s Green Revolution, which helped Asia avoid famine. The CGIAR Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres, a global alliance of institutions involved in food security research, includes 15 agricultural research centres worldwide. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is one of the Asia’s largest non-profit agricultural research facility.
SRM University-AP provides a wide array of opportunities and benefits along with its PhD Programmes. The nascent university has more than 150 PhD students to date in various departments of Engineering, Science, Liberal Arts, Business Administration and Social Sciences. SRM University-AP university has a vibrant research environment with state-of-the-art facilities along with attractive fellowship and complimentary food and accommodation at the university campus. The faculty advisers have paramount knowledge and experience in research along with international exposure. The university also provides support for journal publications, patent filing, and attending national and international conferences.
SRM University-AP further has MoUs with reputed universities abroad for Student Exchange Programme. In addition, the university is conducting research projects funded by prominent organisations, industries and the Government of India. Research projects sponsored by DST, DST-NSM, DBT, DBT-Wellcome Trust, UGC-DAE, ARBL, Titan industries etc are a few of the current ongoing projects.
- Published in Biology News, News, Research News, Students Achievements