Research Projects

Intelligent Nanostructured Materials (INMs) have gained significant attention for their potential in various applications, including self-healing materials, damping in automobiles, flexible electronics, drug delivery, implants, energy generation, smart textiles, catalysis, and optical fields. INMs are stimuli-responsive nanomaterials that can adapt to varying environmental conditions, such as temperature, mechanical loads, light, pH-value, moisture, electrical charge, and magnetic fields. some methods for synthesizing INMs include sol-gel, solution precipitation, hydration-ultrasonic dispersion, sputtering, track-etching, and micro-emulsion. However, these methods are often difficult to control, have low production rates, and are expensive. There is a need for a simple, compact, versatile, and cost-effective method for synthesizing intelligent nanostructured materials at high yield. This feature calls for a plasma source-based digital nano-manufacturing (PsDNM) method for the synthesis and characterization of intelligent nanostructured materials. The proposed PsDNM is a contactless material removal method based on a plasma column formed between two electrodes - the tool and the workpiece surrounded by a dielectric medium. The material is removed at the nano level through melting and evaporation through electrical discharges.