Micro- and Nanostructured Epoxy Thermosetting Polymer Blends and their Nanocomposites

Sabu Thomas is currently an Emeritus Professor of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. He is the former Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University and a Senior Professor of Christ University, Bangalore, India, as well as a visiting Professor at the Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, Department of Chemical Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and an Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Polymer and Process Engineering, IIT Roorkee, India.

Professor Oluwafemi is a fully-fledged academic that is involved in Teaching & Learning, Research, Community Engagement, staff and student mentorship among many other activities. His research interest is in the synthesis of binary, ternary and quaternary semiconductor nanomaterial and nanostructures such as quantum dots, metal nanomaterials, core-shells, doped nanostructures and polymer nanocomposites for different applications which includes biological, (basically for cancer treatment ie imaging, labelling, drug delivery photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy), optical (development of optical devices), environmental (sensing and determination of environmental pollutants), nanotoxicology and water treatment. He is also involved in the indigenous knowledge system (IKS) for value added chain using different South African medicinal plants. This involves isolation, extraction, biological activity testing, and synthesis of nanomaterial using the plant extract and packaging for pharmaceutical purposes.

VR Remya is a Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Sciences, Centre for Nanomaterials Science Research, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She has successfully completed a three-year DRDO, India-sponsored project, on nanostructured polymer blends at the International and Inter-university Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India. She has published several articles in international and national journals and has presented her work at various international conferences. Her research interests include nanostructured polymer blends and composites, toughening of epoxy resins, synthesis and applications of quantum dots and nanoparticles, fabrication of super-tough and fluorescent material for nanotechnology industrial applications, nanostructured smart materials, and much more.

Dr. Jince Thomas is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, Canada. He previously served as an Assistant Professor (on contract) at the International and Inter- University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India, where he was later awarded the Chief Minister’s Nava Kerala Postdoctoral Fellowship. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Mahatma Gandhi University. Dr. Thomas has contributed to a collaborative Indo- Malaysian research program with Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia, and has held visiting research positions at Ariel University in Israel and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA. He is the author and co- author of numerous peer- reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and edited volumes. His research focuses on polymeric membranes, electrolytes, polymer nanocomposites, and electrochemical energy systems, with a strong focus on computational simulations to support materials design and performance evaluation