Chemistry department awarded for outstanding research
UNIZULU Department of Chemistry awarded most productive department in terms of research.
THE University of Zululand’s Department of Chemistry was dubbed the most productive department at the research awards last week, taken into account both postgraduate and publication outputs.
Known for his impeccable research especially in the field of nanotechnology, Professor Neerish Revaprasadu was awarded a National Research Foundation rating and for being elected to the Academy of Science of South Africa.
Currently conducting research on nanomaterial synthesis for solar energy applications, the research team is focussed on the use of earth abundant materials such as tin, iron, nickel and copper.
‘We are very conscious of the environment and thus focus on the use of materials with very little environmental impact,’ Professor Revaprasadu said.
‘Each material has different properties and although they may have lower efficiency as opposed to other materials, in the long run it will prove to be cheaper and environmentally friendlier.
‘We have made a solution and are left to process it into a substrate, make a prototype device and then test the performance of the sample,’ said Professor Revaprasadu.
The department has also expanded and has had an intake of more female students.
