Transport phenomenon of surface modified bimetallic nanoparticles through porous media

The researchers working on this project want to clean up polluted sites using a unique method – nanoparticles.

The goals of this research project are to:

1. To investigate the transport phenomenon of surface-modified bimetallic iron nanoparticles through porous media.
2. To identify the mechanisms controlling the mobility of the nanoparticles in the above process.

The details

Nanoparticles are solid particles engineered to be the size of a molecule or an atom. They are useful in the field of nanotechnology, an advanced field of technology with many real-life applications. A bimetallic nanoparticle is a nanoparticle created from two different types of metals. This project examines the movement of these nanoparticles through porous materials. There will be a special focus on identifying the mechanisms that control the nanoparticles' movement. This project will help us better apply nanotechnology to in-site remediation. In-site remediation refers to the cleaning up of polluted soil, sediment, water etc to reduce the impact on the environment.

Graduate researcher profile: Abhisek Mondal

What did you do before you started your PhD?

I worked at Aliah University (West Bengal, India) as a faculty member in the Department of Civil Engineering for more than a year (September 2016 – December 2017). There, I taught a number of subjects including engineering mechanics, engineering drawing, strength of material, environmental engineering, and estimation and costing.

What are the challenges of your research role? Completing a joint PhD has challenges.

I had to face several challenges as a graduate researcher. These include a lack of relevant experience, deficiencies in infrastructure required to conduct experiments at my home institute, and limited managerial skills.

What is the best part of your research role?

The best experience of my PhD years is the collaboration and scientific knowledge that I have built throughout. The way I have developed my scientific analysis and writing skills is exciting.

Where do you wish to go after your PhD? Do you want to enter industry or continue doing more research?

I would prefer to further my research career and ultimately enter academia. As of now, I would like to become a postdoctoral researcher after finishing my PhD.

My publications:

Mondal, Abhisek, et al. "Porous media transport of iron nanoparticles for site remediation application: A review of lab scale column study, transport modelling and field-scale application." Journal of Hazardous Materials 403 (2021): 123443.

Supervision team

• The University of Melbourne: Dr. Meenakshi Arora, Associate Professor Kathryn Mumford
• Partner university: Dr. Brajesh Kumar Dubey