Swaraj Rashmi Pradhan Earns Doctorate in Chemistry — Congratulations!

In a momentous achievement, Swaraj Rashmi Pradhan successfully defended her thesis in chemistry, titled ​“Nanoengineering of Thin Layers Semiconductor Photocatalysts in a Microreactor Environment for Lignin-Based Model Compounds Valorization.”

She says ​“Amid chaos (starting from administrative issues internet failure), I finally defended my thesis. In short, it was a blend of enjoyment and stress. Today, I proudly declare myself a finisher, not a quitter”.

Research Focus:

Swaraj’s research focused on enhancing the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 for lignin-based model compound valorization in a microflow system. Introducing transition metals and co-catalytic amounts of noble metals proved instrumental in improving the synthesized catalysts’ performance.

Key Findings:

• Photocatalytic conversion in a flow system surpassed the batch system.

• The catalyst, particularly 0.5 at% Fe-TiO₂, exhibited outstanding performance in microflow systems.

• Ultrasonication during the coating process significantly enhanced mass deposition and photoreactivity.

  The LMCT complex formation between TiO2 and methoxy (OCH3) and OH groups linked to an aromatic ring in the aromatic alcohols is vital for activating the catalyst under visible light

Conclusions:

Swaraj successfully synthesized TiO₂ and deposited it inside a microtube using a greener approach and ultrasonication, achieving selective photocatalytic oxidation without additional reagents. The metal-modified catalysts, especially 0.5% at Fe-TiO₂, showed promising results and have already been cited in 24 research publications.

Challenges and Future Perspectives:

Challenges included metal addition complications and micro-scale catalyst deposition characterization difficulties. Future perspectives involve:

• Optimizing synthesis conditions for enhanced catalyst crystallinity.
• Transitioning to green solvents.
• Eventually, harnessing natural solar irradiation for photocatalysis.

Congratulations to Dr. Swaraj Rashmi Pradhan on this remarkable academic milestone!