Research, Teaching & Administrative Experience

Research Narrative

Overall theme of our research in our group has been nanostructured particulate system development for targeted applications in healthcare, water, and energy areas. It involves nano-engineering of particulates for enhanced performance in advanced materials and minerals, chemical, microelectronics, pharmaceutics, biotechnology, and resource recovery and waste disposal applications. Specifically, understanding and control of nano and atomic scale forces between particles, and synthesis of functionalized particles form the foundation of our work for targeted advances in biomedical, homeland security, defense, advanced materials, sensor, and coating technologies. Over the last three to five years, concerted efforts have been devoted to developing multimodal/functional particles for bioimaging for early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer, using specifically designed particles for therapy; and to develop protocols for evaluating toxicity of nanostructured particles.

Specificity of particle/molecule, particle/particle, and particle/microbe interactions has remained to be strong interest in our research group. Developing correlations between surface architecture and surface reactivity has enabled us to design new approaches for developing practically viable separation schemes. We have successfully applied some of this knowledge to develop selectively polishing slurries for Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) operations. Additionally, new attempts are underway to gain fundamental insights into selective interactions in the biological systems, and to apply them to CMP and other particulate systems based processing strategies.

Our research on measurement of forces coupled with synthesis of particles has led to innovative approaches in controlling behavior of particulate assemblies in targeted technologies. Our research group, for the first time, has measured and modeled the effect of nanoscale roughness and humidity on interparticle forces. These studies have provided new insights into aggregation and dry dispersion of fine particles in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Effect of nanoroughness (and other morphological features) on bio-adhesion/reactivity is being investigated to understand bio-response to surface features, leading to more effective and safe implants and sensors.

Our research efforts in self-assembled surfactant mediated interparticle forces has revealed, for the first time, that shear and normal forces between particles and surfaces must be controlled independent of each other for producing (i) optimally performing nano-dispersions such as those used in the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) operations, and (ii) producing agglomerates (flocs) of desired properties for optimal dewatering and solid-solid separations.

Detection, capture and inactivation of hazardous microbes (bacteria, spores) is a relatively new initiative in our research group. In order to develop more effective photocatalyst for inactivation, photocatalytic activity of titania (TiO2) particles is being enhanced using modified fullerenes. Our objective is to develop a prototype product for hospital and household use to reduce the amount of airborne hazardous microbes, and to minimize infections in hospitals and health care facilites. Household applications are motivated by a steep rise of asthma in children, especially in subsidized housing environment.

Removal of harmful bacteria and viruses from water remains a high priority research issue due to its severe impact on child health around the world. Metal hydroxide coatings were developed, at a minimal incremental processing cost, to remove bacteria more effectively than other available commercial products. Attempts are being made to design nanosensors for measuring toxins such as arsenic, a hazardous water contaminant.

In collaboration with Dr. El-Shall a new approach for flotation of ink particles from waste paper was developed. This patented process, which is based on in-situ generation of gas bubbles on the ink particles as they detach from the fibers, uses commercial flotation chemicals.

Overall, our research efforts impact a broad range of particulate processing strategies focusing on areas of major societal impact. Developing structure-property-performance correlations in nano bio systems has acquired renewed urgency to ensure environmental and biomedical safety of nano-engineered particulate systems based products and processes. Ultimately we aim to develop a toolbox for designing and synthesizing targeted nanostructured particulate materials/products, with optimal resource usage and minimal environmental footprint.

Teaching

Moudgil has taught undergraduate courses in Process Metallurgy, and Nonferrous Metallurgy, and graduate courses in Interfacial Phenomena, Rheology of Concentrated Suspensions, and Experimental Design in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He continues to teach graduate level Interfacial Phenomena courses.

Moudgil has served as a member of the Research Advisory Committee of graduate students in the departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Coastal Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, and Plant Pathology.

Administrative/Leadership Experience

Moudgil has served as Director of the Particle Engineering Research Center (formerly the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Particle Science & Technology) since its inception in 1994. His primary responsibilities include achieving the research, education and technology transfer goals of the Center. His is serving as a liaison with industry, faculty, university officials, and funding agencies. (Please refer to Synopsis of qualifications document for additional details).

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