I have completed his Masters in Physics from IIT, Kharagpur in the year 1989 and finished his Ph.D. from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS)- Pilani, Pilani, Rajasthan while being affiliated to National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi in the year 1994 and joined IGCAR in the year 1996. I am a Fellow of Institute of Physics (2021) and Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (2017). I am also senior member of Optica
I am specialized in studies of light-matter interaction in the field of Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and Tip enhance Raman spectroscopy (TERS). I was associate Professor in Electrical Engg. Dept, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan during 2007-2008.
I published more than 300 research publications. I am the recipient of Home Bhabha Gold Medal 2019, DAE-SRC outstanding researcher award for 2012 and also the DAE Group Achievement Awards in the year 2008 and 2020.
EDUCATION
MSc, MS, PhD
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Nanomaterials, Nanoscience, Nano-optics and Nano-spectroscopy
265
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Role of RGO and RGO-Pt as an attractive electrocatalyst for efficient electrochemical reduction of U(VI) in HNO3 Kuntal Kumar Pal, Chanchal Ghosh, Ramnathaswamy Pandian, Ravi Kumar Yadav, Sandip Dhara Scientific Reports, 2026 Electrochemical reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) in nitric acid-hydrazine medium is the key process step to successfully achieve the partitioning of Pu from U in the Plutonium Uranium Reduction Extraction (PUREX) process, adopted worldwide in the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. The present method for the electrochemical reduction of U(VI) to U(IV) is not viable for the large-scale production of U(VI) to U(IV) due to its several drawbacks, including very high overpotential and associated hydrogen evolution reaction. In this report, we have shown that the RGO and RGO-Pt could be an attractive electrocatalyst material for the efficient production of U(IV) from U(VI) in HNO3-N2H4 medium with a significantly lower overpotential and greater selectivity. The linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) plots and corresponding Tafel slope analysis have shown that the U reduction over RGO and RGO-Pt takes a completely different pathway as compared to the reduction over Pt and Ti, which is used in commercial plants. Moreover, the cyclic voltametric and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies have shown that the hydrogen evolution reaction has also been greatly suppressed over the RGO as compared to the RGO-Pt and Pt rod, thus would improve the faradic efficiency for the U(VI) to U(IV) conversion reaction at higher overpotential.
Evaluation of Strain and Charge-Transfer Doping in Wet-Polymeric Transferred Monolayer MoS2: Implications for Field Effect Transistors Choudhury Abinash Bhuyan, Akhil R. Warrier, Kishore K. Madapu, Gurpreet Kaur, Krishna Murthy Prabakar, Jagnaseni Pradhan, Shyam K. Sinha, Chanchal Ghosh, Shyamala Rao Polaki, Sandip Dhara Advanced Materials Technologies, 2026 Unlike as‐grown two‐dimensional (2D) materials, transfer onto arbitrary substrates is essential for integration with semiconductor technologies, deterministic moiré superlattices, and flexible circuitry. However, polymeric residues introduced during the film‐transfer process critically modify strain and doping profiles, impeding device fidelity. We investigate the impact of polymer residues from two widely used 2D film transfer techniques: wet‐chemical etching (polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)‐based) and surface‐energy‐assisted transfer (polystyrene (PS)‐based) of monolayer MoS 2 (1L‐MoS 2 ) film. We demonstrate that PMMA residues induce biaxial tensile strain (0.07%) and p ‐type doping (hole density ∼0.74 × 10 13 cm −2 ) in residue‐covered regions, while uncovered areas exhibit compressive strain (0.11%). Conversely, PS residues nearly uniformly introduce compressive strain (0.17%) and n ‐type doping (electron density ∼0.89 × 10 13 cm −2 ). Kelvin probe force microscopy confirms polymer‐induced doping, and density functional theory calculations support the experimental observations. Field‐effect transistor measurements validate these doping trends, revealing p ‐type (threshold voltage −9.85 V) and n ‐type (threshold voltage −18.25 V) behavior for 1L‐MoS 2 channel material transferred using PMMA and PS polymers, respectively. The surface‐energy‐assisted transfer method minimizes structural defects, yielding superior device performance with higher ON/OFF ratios (10 6 ) and estimated mobility (10.3 cm 2 V −1 s −1 ). Our results demonstrate that the transfer methodology provides guidelines for optimizing 1L‐MoS 2 for high‐performance optoelectronic applications.
RGO-Pt as an effective catalyst for U(IV) generation under hydrogen Kuntal Kumar Pal, Ramakrishna Reddy, Chanchal Ghosh, Sandip Dhara Scientific Reports, 2025 Effective generation of U(IV) from U(VI) is a key step to achieve the partitioning of Pu from U in a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. Reduction under a hydrogen atmosphere is one of the methods for the generation of U(IV) from U(VI) in the presence of a catalyst. Towards this, we have developed novel reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-supported Pt catalysts with varying RGO to Pt ratios. All these catalysts were tested for their catalytic performance for U(VI) to U(IV) reduction under hydrogen, and the performance was compared with the literature-reported SiO2-Pt model catalyst. During the catalytic study, the dual role of Pt was confirmed. It helps the dispersion of materials in the aqueous reaction medium and provides the active surface for the U(VI) reduction reaction using hydrogen. In this regard, Pt nanoclusters with larger sizes were identified for effective catalysis instead of the smallest size.
High performance bilayer 2D V2O5 cathode for Zn-ion and Zn/Li hybrid metal-ion intercalation battery P. R. Reshma, C. Lakshmanan, Arun K. Prasad, Sandip Dhara Scientific Reports, 2025 The deteriorating and unevenly distributed Li reserves lead to the quest for Li-ion battery’s alternatives.Hybrid metal-ion batteries are gaining attention as they effectively address the limited diffusion of heavier ions into cathode materials, typically involving the combination of multi and mono-valent metal-ions.The unavailability of high-performance cathode materials restricts the use of heavier ion (e.g., Zn 2+ ) intercalation batteries even though they offer more stable anodic behavior and good charge capacity. In the present study, bilayer V 2 O 5 nanosheets demonstrate exceptional performance as a cathode material for Zn-ion battery and Zn/Li hybrid metal-ion battery facilitating a faster conduit of ion diffusion. The Zn-ion battery and Zn/Lihybrid metal-ion battery showed high specific capacities of 270 and 510 mAh/g with fast charging rates of 0.77, and 0.6 A/g, respectively. Li + is a lighter ion with an ionic radius of 0.76Å compared to the Zn 2+ ion that of 0.74Å and hence has shown higher diffusion into the crystal. The introduction of Li + in the hybrid metal-ion battery showed good cyclic performance with high coulombic efficiency. Thus, this study presents bilayer 2D V 2 O 5 as a favorable cathode material for Zn-ion and Zn/Li hybrid metal-ion batteries for the first time.
Magnetically separable Fe3O4-SiO2/Pt catalyst and its application for uranium reduction Kuntal Kumar Pal, Ramakrishna Reddy, Chanchal Ghosh, K. Ananthasivan, P. Velavendan, Ramesh L. Gardas, Sandip Dhara Scientific Reports, 2025 Magnetically separable Fe3O4-SiO2/Pt catalysts with ~ 2% Pt loading have been developed for the generation of U(IV) in HNO3-N2H4 medium, used in the nuclear spent fuel reprocessing. Pt was impregnated in the catalysts via reductive heat treatment. The catalysts were characterized by x-ray diffraction, magnetization measurement, field emission scanning electron microscope and high-resolution transmission electron microscope studies. Catalysts reduced at 200 °C and above temperatures were found to be sufficient for the complete reduction of Pt to its Pt(0) state and were highly efficient for the U(IV) generation via hydrogenation. The U(IV) produced during the experiment was analyzed via the titrimetric and spectroscopic methods. Among all the catalysts prepared under the scope of the study, the highest saturation magnetization was measured for the Fe3O4-10SiO2/Pt catalysts prepared at 200 °C (Fe3O4-10SiO2/Pt(200)). However, the catalyst was least effective towards U(VI) reduction compare to the catalysts prepare at 250 °C (Fe3O4-10SiO2/Pt(250)) and 300 °C (Fe3O4-10SiO2/Pt(300)). The saturation magnetization of Fe3O4-10SiO2/Pt(300) was found to be higher than that of Fe3O4-10SiO2/Pt(250). Finally, Fe3O4-10SiO2/Pt(300) was considered a model catalyst for the detailed characterization, benchmarking and recycling of the catalyst material. Samples with higher silica content were also prepared at 300 °C and assessed for their catalytic activity.
Dynamic spectral control: Incident Angle-Responsive Tuning of High-Purity Structural Colors with Dielectric Nanovoid Arrays Hrudya Radhakrishnan, Tummaluru Khadar Basha, Junaid Masud Laskar, Gopi Krishnan, Sandip Dhara, Ramanathaswamy Pandian ACS Photonics, 2025 We demonstrate incident-angle-dependent tuning of visible structural colors using a nanovoid array on a silicon surface fabricated via focused ion beam nanolithography. The method achieves enhanced structural color purity and resolution, as evidenced by sharp peaks in reflectance spectra. A linear correlation between the reflected wavelength and variations in periodicity or incident angle underscores the potential for efficient structural color tuning through manipulation of material properties, instrumental parameters, or both. To explain the observed reflectance shifts, we analyze two key physical phenomena: Mie resonance and light diffraction. Our findings reveal that the nanovoids serve a dual role, acting as Mie-voids while simultaneously functioning as elements in a crossed-diffraction grating system. This dual functionality enables precise spectral control, demonstrating the versatility of nanovoid arrays for optical manipulation. The study offers valuable insights into structural color engineering, paving the way for advancements in photonic and color-tuning technologies.
Nanoscrolled Monolayer MoS2 with High Field-Effect Mobility and Enhanced Photoluminescence Quantum Yield: Implications for Nanoscale Optoelectronic Applications C. Abinash Bhuyan, Kishore K. Madapu, K. Prabakar, K. Ganesan, S. Amirthapandian, Sandip Dhara ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2025 We fabricated one-dimensional (1D) nanoscrolled monolayer MoS 2 (1L-MoS 2 ) with superior characteristics from a 1L-MoS 2 film via a facile route using a suitable organic solvent with optimum surface tension, evaporation rate, and dielectric constant to facilitate controlled scroll formation. These nanoscrolls exhibit multilayer morphology while retaining monolayer electronic properties. The nanoscrolls exhibit a direct optical gap and enhanced photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY) stemming from the weak interlayer coupling among constituent layers and are corroborated by low-frequency (LF) Raman and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements. Furthermore, enhanced photoluminescence emission after annealing uncovers the thermal stability of nanoscrolls. In addition, conducting atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) results demonstrate a significantly higher photocurrent in nanoscrolled 1L-MoS 2 compared to 1L-MoS 2 . Additionally, we also realized significantly improved field-effect transistor device (FET) parameters in nanoscrolled 1L-MoS 2 devices. In nanoscrolled FET devices, we report the highest mobility value of 2400 cm 2 V –1 s –1 reported in any 1L-MoS 2 system. The reported results highlight the potential of nanoscrolled 1L-MoS 2 for advancing electronic and optoelectronic applications at the nanoscale.
Phonon softening mechanisms in power-dependent Raman spectroscopy of low-dimensional materials: The effects of thermal conductivity, absorption coefficients, and defects Kishore K. Madapu, Sujoy Sen, Sandip Dhara Journal of Applied Physics, 2025 Power-dependent Raman spectroscopy has been regularly used in material science, especially in low-dimensional materials. The origin of Raman mode frequency changes with increased laser power has not yet been generalized. So far, the phonon mode response to increased laser power has been discussed in the context of a rise in the local temperature due to small particle size and reduced thermal conductivity. Here, we established the origin of phonon mode softening (redshift) in power-dependent Raman spectroscopy. We performed a comprehensive Raman analysis on materials with large variations in thermal conductivity, including Si, Ge, GaAs, diamond, sapphire (Al2O3), ZrO2, SnO2, and ZnO. We proved that thermal conductivity had a negligible role in power-dependent Raman spectroscopy. We exclusively observed phonon shifts with increased laser power in particles of micrometer and nanoscale dimensions with above-bandgap excitations. We found that grain boundaries, external surfaces, and particle size (mass) play a key role in the softening of phonon modes with increased laser power. However, these factors were ineffective in the case of below-bandgap excitations. In addition, we found that defects, which have not been considered until now, play a crucial role in power-dependent Raman spectroscopy.
Probing near-field heating effects on monolayer MoS2 photoluminescence via tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy Kishore K. Madapu, C. Abinash Bhuyan, Sandip Dhara Applied Physics Letters, 2025 The photoluminescence (PL) intensity of monolayer MoS2 is limited by weak optical absorption due to its atomic scale thickness. To enhance PL intensity, field enhancement techniques, such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of metal nanoparticles, are often employed. However, SPR-induced light confinement at the nanoscale also leads to significant localized heating. In this study, we investigated the impact of near-field heating due to SPR using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) and tip-enhanced photoluminescence studies. Our results reveal nearly an order-of-magnitude difference in the enhancement factors (EFs) for Raman and PL signals of monolayer MoS2, with a local temperature increase of approximately 147 °C under the TERS tip at a laser power of 10.57 mW. The reduced PL EF compared with Raman EF is attributed to additional near-field heating from SPR. We further observed that local temperature fluctuations critically affect the EFs and found that a high thermal conductivity substrate can effectively mitigate the near-field thermal effects associated with SPR.
Transition Metal Oxides at Low Dimensions: Augmented Properties and Advanced Applications Raktima Basu, Sandip Dhara Transition Metal Oxides at Low Dimensions Augmented Properties and Advanced Applications, 2025 This book covers enhanced properties and cutting-edge applications of transition metal oxides (TMOs) at low dimensions (2D, 1D, and 0D). The electronic bandgap modification and emergence of novel and fascinating properties due to reduced dimension are discussed in detail. It covers various synthesis procedures and advanced technical tools for the characterization of the TMOs at lower dimensions and enhanced properties of the TMOs at lower dimensions realizing ground-breaking applications in advanced energy storage and energy harvesting, catalysis, and chemical sensing. Features: Covers applications and possible devices made of nanoclusters/quantum dots (QDs) and 1D and 2D TMOs. Discusses low-dimensional TMOs for advanced properties. Explores next-generation advancement in green energy, gas/chemical sensing, and photocatalysis. Reviews low-cost TMO-based devices with advantage over electronic-grade transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). Details physics of 1D TMOs including perspectives from spin wave and charge density wave. This book is aimed at researchers and graduate students in materials science.
Alpha radiation detection using Si PIN diodes K Prabakar, O.K. Sheela, Raghu Ramaiah M, S. Tripura Sundari, Sandip Dhara 2022 IEEE International Conference on Emerging Electronics Icee 2022, 2022
Growth of GaN nanostructures on graphene Avinash Patsha, P. Sahoo, Kishore K. Madapu, S. Dhara, A. K. Tyagi Proceedings of the International Conference on Nanoscience Engineering and Technology Iconset 2011, 2011
Antibiofilm activity of nano sized CuO P. Sriyutha Murthy, V.P. Venugopalan, Das D. Arunya, S. Dhara, R. Pandiyan, A.K. Tyagi Proceedings of the International Conference on Nanoscience Engineering and Technology Iconset 2011, 2011
Surface optical modes in GaN nanowires Prasana Sahoo, S. Dhara, S. Dash, A.K. Tyagi, Baldev Raj, C.R. Das, P. Chandramohan, M.P. Srinivasan International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2010
Multiphonon Raman scattering in GaN nanowires S. Dhara, Sharat Chandra, G. Mangamma, S. Kalavathi, P. Shankar, K. G. M. Nair, A. K. Tyagi, C. W. Hsu, C. C. Kuo, L. C. Chen, K. H. Chen, K. K. Sriram Applied Physics Letters, 2007
Ferromagnetism in cobalt-doped n-GaN S. Dhara, B. Sundaravel, K. G. M. Nair, R. Kesavamoorthy, M. C. Valsakumar, T. V. Chandrasekhar Rao, L. C. Chen, K. H. Chen Applied Physics Letters, 2006
Ion-beam mixing in an immiscible Fe/Ag multilayer film S. Amirthapandian, B. K. Panigrahi, A. K. Srivastava, S. Dhara, Ajay Gupta, V. S. Sastry, R. V. Nandedkar, K. G. M. Nair, A. Narayanasamy Journal of Applied Physics, 2004
Structure and growth of yttrium iron garnet thin films with enhanced magnetic properties by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition Journal of Materials Research, 1999