‘One material, many solutions': IIT Guwahati develops hybrid aerogel to clean wastewater, remove oil spills, and sense strain
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
research team has developed
multi-functional aerogel
with significant potential to address some of today's most pressing environmental challenges—including
wastewater treatment
,
industrial pollution
, and
oil-water separation
.
#Pahalgam Terrorist Attack
India's Rafale-M deal may turn up the heat on Pakistan
China's support for Pakistan may be all talk, no action
India brings grounded choppers back in action amid LoC tensions
Led by Prof. P. K. Giri, Department of Physics and Centre for Nanotechnology,
IIT Guwahati
, the study introduces a cutting-edge material engineered to tackle industrial waste in multiple ways. Aerogels are ultra-lightweight, highly porous materials with a large surface area and exceptional adsorption properties, making them ideal for a wide range of environmental and industrial applications.
The findings of this research have been published in the international journal Carbon and are co-authored by Prof. Giri along with his research scholars, Koushik Ghosh, Sanjoy Sur Roy, Sirsendu Ghosal, and Debabrata Sahu.
GIF89a����!�,D;
5
5
Next
Stay
Playback speed
1x Normal
Back
0.25x
0.5x
1x Normal
1.5x
2x
5
5
/
Skip
Ads by
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Audiologists Are Calling This Hearing Spray a Game-Changer
Hear Clearly Again
Learn More
Undo
With rapid industrialisation and agricultural expansion contributing to the release of diverse pollutants. ranging from soluble organic compounds like antibiotics and industrial dyes to insoluble oils—effective wastewater treatment has become a global priority. Compounding the issue is the growing scarcity of clean water, which underscores the need for advanced, efficient, and sustainable solutions.
While conventional methods such as membrane filtration and chemical precipitation are widely used,
Advanced Oxidation Processes
(AOPs) have gained increasing attention for their effectiveness in degrading pollutants. Particularly, Peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-activated AOPs stand out for generating highly reactive sulfate and hydroxyl radicals, capable of breaking down complex organic molecules even at low concentrations.
Live Events
In this context, the IIT Guwahati team has developed a hybrid aerogel by combining MXene, a two-dimensional material known for its high conductivity and chemical reactivity, with carbon foam. By introducing phosphorus doping into the
MXene
framework, the researchers significantly improved its PMS activation capability, enabling the efficient breakdown of persistent organic pollutants in wastewater.
Beyond wastewater treatment, the aerogel also exhibited excellent performance in oil-water separation. Its porous architecture selectively absorbs oil while repelling water, making it highly effective for cleaning up oil spills and treating industrial effluents. This separation process is not only efficient but also environmentally friendly.
Highlighting the significance of the research, Prof. Giri said, 'This study demonstrates how a single engineered material can offer multiple solutions to
environmental challenges
. The hybrid aerogel we developed shows promising results in wastewater purification, oil-water separation, and strain sensing, combining environmental sustainability with practical versatility.'
Additionally, the developed aerogel also functions as a flexible strain sensor. Its electrical resistance changes in response to mechanical stress, opening applications in wearable electronics, smart devices, and structural health monitoring systems.
This multi-capability material represents a significant advancement in
sustainable materials science
, offering scalable solutions for cleaner water, pollution control, and next-generation sensing technologies.
Although the Ti3C2Tx-based hybrid aerogel demonstrates excellent performance, its conventional HF-based synthesis raises significant environmental and toxicity concerns. To address this, the research team is exploring acid-free synthesis routes for large-scale applications. Additionally, they are working on introducing a co-catalyst layer to enhance the performance and durability of MXene-based aerogels by preventing the direct degradation of MXene nanosheets during catalysis.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
IIT Guwahati student selected as Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassador
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati's student, Sukanya Sonowal, has been selected as the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassador, a leadership position in the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network (CYPAN) Executive Committee. Sukanya Sonowal is the co-founder of STEMvibe.(X) CYPAN is a youth-led initiative that operates across 56 member nations to promote peace, respect, and understanding while countering violent extremism. A 4th-year student pursuing her in Biosciences and Bioengineering, Sonowal will serve as Lead - Communications & Public Relations for the 2025 - 2027 term. Congratulating Sonowal on her accomplishment, Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati, said, "We are immensely proud of Sukanya Sonowal for her selection as a Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassador. We are confident that she will make a meaningful contribution to peacebuilding efforts across the Commonwealth and inspire many other students to pursue initiatives with global impact." Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors are selected based on their experience in peacebuilding, commitment to Commonwealth values, and understanding of relevant frameworks. The selection process involved a rigorous three-stage process, which included an initial application followed by two rounds of interviews. The evaluation process focused on the applicant's commitment to peacebuilding, community service, and leadership experience. A native of Lakhimpur district of Assam, Sonowal's experience in communications and outreach-related activities helped her in becoming a suitable fit for the required ambassador position. Over the past four years, she has actively contributed to IIT Guwahati's flagship techno-management festival, Techniche, as a key part of the Media and Branding team. In her current roles, Sonowal is the co-founder of STEMvibe - STEM for Viksit Bharat Empowerment, an initiative focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) outreach that aims to empower students all over India. Through this platform, she has successfully engaged more than 3,000 participants from across the nation. She is also spearheading The Integral Cup, a national-level mathematics competition for undergraduates that attracted over 2,500 participants from top institutions during its very first edition. Her demonstrated ability to manage large-scale communication campaigns, lead youth-focused outreach initiatives, and build international collaborations with organisations such as Optiver, Qube Research & Technologies, and Jane Street reflects the experience and skills that strongly align with the objectives of the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network. A native of Lakhimpur district of Assam, Sukanya Sonowal said, "I am deeply honoured to represent India and IIT Guwahati on this global platform. This opportunity stems from my belief that communication can be a powerful tool for positive change. My journey, from volunteering at campus events to leading international initiatives, shows that every experience shapes us for a larger purpose. I encourage fellow students to embrace opportunities beyond their immediate field of study. The skills we develop through such initiatives will not only shape our careers but empower us to become global citizens who can contribute to humanity's biggest challenges." IIT Guwahati is proud of Ms. Sonowal's accomplishment and wishes her the best in her role as a Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassador.
Mint
27-06-2025
- Mint
India's new space revenue driver: surveillance satellites
New Delhi: India's private space firms may be getting the revenue boost they hoped for: Thanks to geopolitical tensions, several countries have tapped them to build satellites as demand for space-based surveillance grows. Bengaluru-based Ananth Technologies, a long-time engineering partner for the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), has been executing an order from Australia for defence surveillance satellites over the past year. Peer Digantara is also part of this contract under the Mission for Australia-India's Technology, Research and Innovation or Maitri programme. Norway, Hungary and Poland, besides nations from West Asia and the global south, are also engaging with multiple Indian space firms, including Adani Defence and Aerospace-backed Alpha Design, according to at least five industry executives Mint spoke with. Most of these countries do not have their own satellite programmes, but changing geopolitical alignments and global tensions have amplified the need for space surveillance. And while revenue generated from such projects has still not reached hundreds of millions of dollars, India's friendly relations are offering local space startups an opportunity to drive growth through such partnerships. Moreover, surveillance satellite giants in the US, such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, focus mostly on large contracts, according to Chaitanya Giri, space fellow at global think-tank, Observer Research Foundation. Since most of the contracts coming India's way range from $5-25 million per year, Giri said these 'are too small for the American behemoths, but cumulatively could add up to a significant boost for India". Satellite assembly line Ananth Technologies and Digantara will offer end-to-end design and manufacturing of satellites and provide surveillance data to Australia. While neither divulged the exact size of the deals, both said the multi-year pactsare leading to monetization of their business models in India. 'We have three satellite manufacturing and design engineering centres across Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram, where we build and design high-resolution surveillance, imaging and earth observation satellites based on requirements from clients," Subba Rao Pavuluri, chairman and managing director of Ananth Technologies, told Mint. The company has the reputation to back it, having manufactured surveillance satellites for India. These are in orbit and operated by Isro. In FY24, Ananth Technologies, incorporated in 1992, earned operating revenue of ₹270 crore, according to data from the ministry of corporate affairs. Digantara, incorporated six years ago, earned ₹3.2 crore and projects its revenue to increase to ₹250 crore by FY27 on surveillance satellite data and manufacturing contracts. Over ₹100 crore of Digantara's revenue growth is set to come from through its contract with India's ministry of defence, Mint reported on 13 June. Anirudh Sharma, chief executive of the Peak XV-backed startup, is also setting up the company's own satellite assembly line. Mint visited the company's headquarters in Bengaluru. The startup will offer satellite observation and data analytics services to paying customers. 'We're currently working with other clients, too, including the government of India as well as interested parties from the European Union," Sharma said. 'There is an increasing demand for sovereign surveillance capabilities around the world, for which we are offering white-label services to various governments." Surveillance as a service Beyond manufacturing for other nations, Indian space startups are looking to put their own surveillance satellites in orbit, and offer high-resolution surveillance data to countries. GalaxEye Space, a four-year-old, Chennai-headquartered startup, announced earlier this month that it will place its first, owned surveillance satellite in orbit as part of its business expansion plan. '...the current rise in interest for surveillance satellites is also boosting our case for innovation—where we are placing a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (Sar) satellite that can observe the earth at up to 0.5 metres resolution," said Suyash Singh, founder of GalaxEye. 'We're already having early-stage conversations with hundreds of clients, which is what spurred our decision to build this satellite. In the next six to eight months, we'll offer a revenue projection for the coming years, launch the satellite in orbit, and raise funds for our next phase of operations." The company's early-stage demand is largely coming from West Asia and the global south, Singh said. One year ago, the government of Australia signed an $18-million contract with Isro's commercial business unit, NewSpace India Limited (Nsil), to use its satellite launch services. Speaking with Mint on the sidelines of 2025 Indian Space Congress in New Delhi on Wednesday, Philip Green, high commissioner of Australia to India, said that space is an active area of collaboration between the two nations. 'We actively leverage the strength that each of us have in our nations to collaborate in various fields, including technology. In space, Australia is a global innovation leader—we bring this to India and tap its massive engineering talent pool with private firms that are highly skilled in niche areas. In turn, this helps both the geographies prosper and grow—Australia, leveraging this, is seeing its space economy already grow at 10% per annum," he said. 'With a strategic partner such as India, we can collaborate across the line and the ecosystem, and do so more intensively. That's where the India-Australia space collaborations are at the moment," Green said. ORF's Giri calls this a 'natural evolution". 'The US has moved on from manufacturing a long time ago, and Europe's markets are too expensive to manufacture at scale," he said. 'With the current geopolitical balances at play, India's biggest strength lies in leveraging this position to emerge as a default choice for global satellite manufacturing." Giri expects these contracts to help India's private space firms reinforce their reputation in the global market. 'With space and surveillance being seen as key areas of engineering and innovation, India is in a strong position to leverage its relations globally—and help private firms expand globally as critical infrastructure providers."
Indian Express
22-06-2025
- Indian Express
Learning to balance, lead, and grow: Lessons beyond the classroom at IIT Guwahati
– Mithil Sandhineni After my Class 10, I had to choose either science, commerce, or humanities. As someone who likes science, I was left with two major options – either the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) or the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG). I chose JEE not because of something I loved, but because of something I hated. My strong dislike for biology during school naturally pushed me towards the other subjects. Even though I had no clue about JEE at the time, I decided to move ahead with it, keeping in mind my comfort and interest in subjects like physics and mathematics. Later, I started finding physics interesting, which helped me prepare well. In addition to other teachers in my coaching institute, Rajesh Sir and Naveen Sir, who were IITians, shared stories about their life at IIT. These stories highly motivated me to aim for a seat and experience such a wonderful life at an IIT. Schooling and JEE preparation I did my schooling in DAV Public School, Hyderabad. My focus wasn't solely on academics; I took part in various school activities, including sports like volleyball and kho-kho. Due to the pandemic, my Class 10 exam was conducted online, and I missed making good memories of my final year in school. Later, I joined a coaching institute in Hyderabad. I completed my Class 11 and Class 12 in Sri Chaitanya Junior College. Even though my house was located in Hyderabad, I had to stay in a hostel to focus on my JEE preparation. As a person who gets distracted easily, I feel that the environment was suitable for me. I appeared for JEE Main and JEE Advanced in 2023 and secured a rank of 4278 in JEE Advanced and 6592 in JEE Main. I chose JEE simply with the wish to pursue engineering, not with any particular IIT in mind. Later, I decided that I wanted to get into one of the top seven IITs. After carefully evaluating all the options I had, the best ones were Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras and Mechanical Engineering at IIT Guwahati (IITG). Due to my interest in physics, I chose Mechanical at IITG. I'm thankful for this decision — not just academically, but also because it led me to meet my amazing friends. My days at IIT Guwahati I came to IIT Guwahati in July 2023. This wasn't exactly my first time away from home, as I had lived in a hostel during my JEE preparation. But this time, it truly felt like being away — since I had moved to the other side of the country and couldn't just go back whenever I wanted. I felt homesick for a day or two, but eventually, I made some amazing friends, and after that, I didn't think about home as much. Honestly, it wasn't very difficult for me to adjust here. We had classes for about three hours a day and three labs per week, each lasting three hours, with Saturdays and Sundays off. This schedule gave me the chance to explore other things. I made good friends in my class and hostel as well. Even today, I hang out with my hostel friends – it's like a mandatory part of the day. The schedule wasn't hectic for me to manage; it felt well-balanced between academics and extracurriculars. But one thing that did take time to adjust to was the food. It didn't taste like home-cooked meals, and that was a bit tough initially, but eventually, I got used to it. I used to play volleyball during my school days, but due to my JEE preparation, I didn't get time to play. So, after coming here, I started playing volleyball again in the evenings from 6 to 9 after classes with my friends. Then, I got into the volleyball club and also joined the cultural fest, Alcheringa team. I was also elected as the Branch Representative (BR). It was not hectic in the first semester since we had very little academic pressure and enough free time. From the second semester, I joined the Consulting and Analytics Club, the AI Club, and the Techniche team. When exams are near, I reduce the time I spend on non-academic activities like playing volleyball for an hour instead of three. I completely focus on my academics when I sit down to study and keep distractions as far away as I can. What I have learned at IIT Guwahati, my future plans Comparing the person I was before and who I am now, my personality has developed a lot. By interacting with people coming from various states across India, I understood different cultures and mindsets, which helped me become more open-minded. As a BR, I developed leadership qualities in order to act upon my branch-mates' concerns and communicate them effectively to the professors, along with guiding my juniors when they were new to the campus. As a team member of fests, I learned formal communication and coordination across different teams. Going ahead, now in my third year, I got a wonderful opportunity to be the Overall Coordinator of the Students' Welfare Board, where I manage the seven clubs under the Welfare Board. And as a student, I learned how to utilise my time efficiently, prioritise the things I have to do, and fulfil my responsibilities. Overall, I became a better version of myself and wish to improve even more. There is a stereotype that IITians only study, but trust me, students here are very good at living their life — managing and doing everything they want to. Being here for two years now, one of the biggest things I've learned is to enjoy what I'm doing. At IIT, there's always something going on – fests, hostel events, club activities, classes, exams – all happening at the same time. In the beginning, it was overwhelming, but slowly I understood that it's all a part of the journey. Managing so many things together, without letting my academics fall behind, was definitely tough. But in the process, I started learning how to manage my time better, how to prioritise, and most importantly, how to stay calm even when things get hectic. One of the best experiences has been being part of the organising teams of Alcheringa and Techniche. Alcheringa, especially, is very close to me. I've been a part of it for two years now. It's honestly one of the most memorable parts of my college life. Enjoying a fest is one thing, but being on the other side and organising it is a whole different experience. Those sleepless nights during the fest, back-to-back team meetings, last-minute chaos, working with over 200 people – it's tiring but also the most exciting and satisfying thing. Looking back, these are the moments that make college life special. We learn so much in the process – how to work in a team, how to solve problems on the spot, how to take responsibility. But above all, we make memories that'll stay with us forever. Hence, this is my learning: do what you like and enjoy doing it. In the process, we learn something valuable – something we only realise when we look back. After my BTech, I wish to get a placement in one of the big tech firms as a software developer. Recently, I've also been exploring non-tech fields, so I would love to see myself in a non-tech role as well, if the opportunity feels right. In the long run, I aspire to build something of my own – a startup or a project I'm truly passionate about. Mridusmita Deka covers education and has worked with the Careers360 previously. She is an alumnus of Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University. ... Read More
