Chemical Nanotechnologies:
From Molecules to Functional Nanostructures for Energy and Health Applications
Sanjay MathurDirector, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
Chair, Inorganic and Materials Chemistry
University of Cologne
Greinstrasse 6, D-50939 Cologne, Germany
E-mail: sanjay.mathur@uni-koeln.de
Chemical nanotechnologies have played, in the past few decades a major role in the convergence oflife, physical and engineering sciences leading not only to simple collaboration among the disciplines
but to a paradigm shift based on true disciplinary integration. The successful synthesis, modification
and assembly of nanobuilding units such as nanocrystals and wires of different materials havedemonstrated the importance of chemical influence in materials synthesis, and have generated great
expectations for the future. Implications of chemistry as an innovation motor are now visible forknowledge leap forward in various sectors such as materials engineering for energy, health and security.
Inorganic nanostructures inherit promises for substantial improvements in materials engineering
mainly due to improved physical and mechanical properties resulting from the reduction of
microstructural features by two to three orders of magnitude, when compared to current engineering
materials. This talk will present how chemically grown nanoparticles, nanowires and nanocompositesof different metal oxides open up new vistas of material properties, which can be transformed into
advanced material technologies. The examples will include application of superparamagnetic iron oxide
nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and drug delivery applications, vapour phase
synthesis and electrospinning of nanowires for application as electrode materials and in water splitting
reactions (for solar hydrogen production). A novel sensing concept based on the integration andcorrelation of complementary functionalities originating from multiple junctions in a singularnanostructure to palliate the current issues in gas sensor technologies such as low power consumption,
low operating temperature and cost effective production will be elaborated. Finally, the current
challenges of integration of nanomaterials in existing device concepts will be discussed.
Sanjay Mathur is the Director of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of
Cologne in Germany. He is also the Director of the Institute of Renewable Energy Sourcesat the Xian Jiao Tong University, Xian, China and a World Class University Professor at theChonbuk University in Korea. He also holds Visiting Professorships at the Central South
University, China and National Institute of Science Education and Research, India.
His research interests focus on application of nanomaterials and advanced ceramics forenergy technologies. He holds six patents and has authored/ co-authored over 300 original research publications andhas edited several books. He is a Titular Member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists (IUPAC)
and a member of the ISO Technical Committee on Nanotechnologies. He serves as the Editor for Journal ofElectroceramics, and as the Principal Editor of J. Mater. Research. He is also an Associate Editor for International Journal ofApplied Ceramics Technology, International Journal of Nanoscience and Nanomaterials. He is also on the Editorial Boards ofjournals International Journal of Nanotechnology, Materials, Journal of Ceramic Science and Technology, and NanoEnergy.
He is an Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics and Fellow of the American Ceramic Society. He also acts as the“International Ambassador” of the University of Cologne. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Federation ofGerman Materials Science (DGM) and also serves on the Board of the German Chemical Industries Network
CHEMCOLOGNE. He is appointed on the Review Advisory Panel of the CSIR, South Africa and also serves as
International Advisor to Korean Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Incheon, Korea and Vice-President ofthe Thin Film Society, Singapore.