Specialization

Chemical Sensors, Inorganic ion-exchange materials, Environmental Chemistry Biomedical Waste Management.

Email

smittal@thapar.edu

Contact No.

+91-175-2393303 (O)
+91-9815-653-261 (Mob)

Research Interests/Specialization:-

• Analytical Chemistry/ Chemical Sensors/ Biosensors/ Environmental Chemistry
• Screen Printed Electrodes: A new area of application of receptor molecules as disposable chemical sensors was studied and established collaborations with well-established international scientist Professor Craig E Banks (MMU, UK). Fabricated SPEs using receptor molecules as electroactive compounds and successfully developed disposable electrodes for trace level determination of Al(III) – Analyst, 143(2018)2851-2861, Sensors and Actuators B, 239(2017)17–27. Many more such receptor compounds are being developed as SPEs.
• Nano-composite Ion-exchange materials: Developed new nano-composite materials with ion-exchange characteristics and applied the same for applications as antimicrobial agent, photochemical degradation of dyes and others (RSC Adv.,6(2016)3150. RSC Advances,6(2016),111606 -111615, Sep Sci & Tech, 51(2016)2896–2902.
• Voltammetric Sensors: Highly selective molecular receptors (based on di/tri-phenylethers) developed for voltammetric determination of ions like Ce(III), Co(II), Cu(II) (RSC Advances, 2015, 5, 21831-21842, RSC Advances, 6(2016)51153-51160, Anal. Methods, 8(2016)7472–748, Sensors and Actuators B, 239(2017)17–27, J. Electrochem. Soc., 2015 162(9): B248-B255). Anal. Methods, 2019, 11, 359-366
• Potentiometric Chemical Sensors: Started with conventional crown ethers like Dibenzo-18-crown-6 (Ca(II) selective Sens and Actu(B), 99(2004), Dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (La(III) selective, Talanta, 62(2004)801-805) moving tripodal ionophores like 8-hydroxyquionline substituted with chloro, benzoyl and hyrdroxy benzoyl groups were used as sensors for Cu(II) (Analytica Chimica Acta, 585 (2007) 161–170, dipodal ionophore 2-Aminothiophenol as silver selective (Sens and Actu(B), 121(2007), Imine And Thioether ionophore as Zn(II) (Mat Sci and Engg: C, 28(2008)), and others (Sensors (Germany), 4(2004).
• Conductometry as tool for selective determination of lanthanides: Used α-hydroxy isobutyric acid (HIBA) as a co-ligand with EDTA to selectively determine lanthanides using 5-ring electrode conductometric method (Anal Methods 3(2011); Ind & Engg Chem Res.,51(2012); Curr Anal Chem, 10(4),2014; Spectrochimica Acta -A:Mol and Biomol Spec,145(2015).
• Biosensors: Modification of GC electrode with whole cells for determination of heavy metals (Sensors and Actuators B, 165(2012)48-52, Current Analytical Chemistry 8(2012)365-372), developed new assembly for on-line monitoring of mercury using voltammetric biosensor (Anal. Methods, 6(2014)5741-5745), Pesticides determination, Anal. Methods, 9(2017)1672, Sensors and Actuators B 258(2018)215-227.
• Ion Selective Field Effective Transisters: Immobilised receptor molecules in the gate region of the FETs and converted these into amperometric sensors for different target species like metal ions and pesticides. 2 theses of Masters in Chemistry programme completed.
• Ambient Air Quality Monitoring: Studied the effect of post-harvest Agriculture waste burning on air quality and human respiratory health (Atmospheric Environment, 50(2016)127–134, Atmospheric Environment, 43(2009)238–244. Atmospheric Environment, 44(2010)1292-1300. Int Journal of Env Anal Chemistry,90(2010)829-843, Sci. of The Total Environment, 408(2010)4440-4445, Journal of Environmental Monitoring 13(2011) 1073-1081 Science of the total Environment, 429(2012)161-166).

Education and Training

• PhD (Chemistry, 1986) in Analytical Chemistry from Chemistry Deptt. GND University, Amritsar
• Post-Doc (CSIR, PSCST) at GND University, Amritsar (1986-1988)

Professional Affiliations and Administrative Responsibilities

• Deputy Director, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Jan 2015 – Mar 2016.
• Member, Board of Governors (BOG) of Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Jan 2014 to Dec 2015.
• Dean (Research & Sponsored Projects), Feb 2006 – Sept 2010.
• Head, School of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Apr 2002 – Aug 2011.
• Professor-in-Charge, Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Laboratories (SAI Labs) Dec 2012-contd.
• Head (Acting), Nava Nalanda Central Library, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Oct 2012 – Feb 2017.
• Faculty advisor, Campus Environment Management, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology 2013-Contd.
• Registrar (Acting) for stop gap period of 3 months in 2005 at Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology
• President, Senior Staff Club, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, April 2005 – Mar 2009.
• Chairman of many level committees of TIET like UMC, ARC, Radiation Safety and Storage, Central Examination of , Admission Committee for UG programmes, Student Counseling and Development of the
• Member of High powered Committee of Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology who visited Trinity College of Dublin (Ireland) in June 2014 to establish Partnership in Education followed by another visit in October 2015.

Teaching Activities

• PhD and PG Courses - Instrumental Methods of Analysis, Special Topics in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry
• Post Graduate students of Chemistry and Environmental Engg - Environmental Chemistry
• UG (Engg Programmes) Chemistry (General course for UG students of Engg), Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry

  List of Publications (SCI Journals): 70 (Non-SCI Journals): 30

  Total Impact Factor: 150+ Total Citations: 700+ (Google Scholar), 500+ (Res ID)

  H-Index: 16 (Google Scholar), 13 (Web of Science), 14 (Scopus)

Awards/Honours/Fellowships

• Achieved status of Chartered Chemist (CChem) in 2017 by Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), one of the largest Chemical Societies in the World
• Was awarded FRSC, Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry in 2014 by invitation without any formal Education/Training from abroad.

Sponsored Research Projects

• Completed (1995 till 2016) – 10 (UGC, DST, DRDO, AICTE, BRNS) worth 1.6 Crore

International Collaborations in Research

• Craig E Banks, Fac of Sci & Engg, Sch of Biol Chem and Hlth Sci, MMUni, Chester St, Manchester, UK– Screen Printed Electrodes
• LF Lindoy, Centre for Heavy Metals Research, Sch of Chem, Univ of Sydney, Australia – Ionophores for Chemical Sensing
• Dr Harir Mourad – Kopplin, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, Neuherberg, Germany – Characterisation of Aerosols from Crop Residue Burning

National Collaborations in Research

• Subodh Kumar (FNASc) – Department of Chemistry, GND University, Amritsar (Punjab) - Ionophores for Chemical Sensing,
• Ashok Kumar – School of Adv Sci, VIT University, Vellore - Ion transport across Liquid Membranes, Conductometry,
• N Singh, IIT Ropar, N Kaur – Panjab Uni, Chd - Ionophores for Chemical Sensing, Podands as voltammetric sensors for heavy metal ions
• Gufran Beig (Bhatnagar Awardee) – Modelling Air Pollution and Networking (MAPAN) – A National Project of Ministry of Earth Sciences, GoI, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune
• Prabhat K Gupta – Chemical Metrology in Ambient Air Quality Measurements, National Physical Laboratory(NPL), New Delhi

Patents Filed

• Novel chemical compound for detection and estimation of cerium (III) – Indian Patent Filing Number 201711004742 dated Feb. 9, 2017
• Novel disposable sensor for specific detection of aluminium ions - Indian Patent Filing Number – 201711015247 dated April 29, 2017

Research Supervision

• Doctor of philosophy: Completed – 16, Ongoing – 10 Chemical Sensors:– 4, Biosensors – 1 MoF-1 Ambient Air Analysis – 4
• Post-graduation level: Completed - 25; Ongoing - 3

Other Professional Activities:

Membership of Professional Institutions, Associations, Societies

• tered Chemist (CChem)* and Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) - 2015 Onwards.
• Member, Advisory Board, Analytical Methods (Royal Society of Chemistry, UK)
• Member, Executive Committee, Indian Society of Electroanalytical Chemists (ISEAC), BARC, Mumbai.
• Vice President (Northern Chapter, Patiala), Metrology Society of India (MSI), NPL New Delhi
• Member, Editorial Board of *C—Journal of Carbon Research (MDPI, Germany).
• Life member of ISEAC, ISAS, CRSI, SAEST, ITAS

Outreach Activities

• Member selection committees for recruitment of faculty at GGSW Uni., FGH; BBSB Engg College, PTU, Kapurthala
• Member, Tender Committee for the Civil Works at RGN Law University, Patiala since 2012.
• Member, Board of Studies in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at MRS PTU, Bathinda; Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib, MM University, Mullana (Ambala); Member, Board of PG Studies in Chemistry at Punjabi University, Patiala
• PhD theses evaluation for GGS IP University, Delhi; Agra University; Guwahati University; HBNI BARC, Mumbai; Avinashlingam Women University, Coimbatore; Meerut University; Punjabi University, Patiala
• PhD Research Proposal evaluation for SLIET, Longowal; Pbi Uni, Patiala, PTU, Kapurthala; MM University, Mullana (Ambala).
• Member of Expert Committee of Pb State Board of Water Supply and Sanitation for Establishment of State level Laboratories
• Member of Expert Committee of Pb Pollution Control Board for monitoring the Research Project of PSCST