Prajakta Narhari Manal

A doctoral student at Stockholm University, Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry (SUSMATCHEM-MMK group) with an Inorganic Chemistry background, my expertise lies in Materials and Sustainable Chemistry, which involves synthesizing and characterizing materials with microscopic and spectroscopic tools such as FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, UV-Vis, and FT-IR. Being part of the prestigious PRISMAS program student my research is focused on the synthesis of Lignin-metal nanoparticles and the investigation of their structural and morphological properties as they form, using a Synchrotron light source and small-angle X-ray scattering. 

Think about sitting on a wooden chair that could hold the key to improving technology and medicine. Yes, that’s exactly what we are exploring with lignin, a major component of wood with multiple applications. Lignin not only provides structure to the tree, it is also a biopolymer, meaning it’s a natural substance with multifunctional capability. By experimenting with lignin, we can create materials that feature amazing properties. One of the simplest things we do is mix lignin with small parts of metal salts, such as those of silver and copper. These metals may sound something different, but they are very common. The metal ions (just a fancy term used for the charged atoms of silver and copper) catch the lignin’s molecules and form what we call “hybrid materials”. This is like making a team and gathering together to form a relationship between nature and technology. This lignin and metal ions solution is simple but elegant like a tango. But why this? Well, these materials have superpowers and play a major role in antimicrobial activity - which can kill millions of harmful microorganisms. In addition, one can imagine their use in medicine for assisting doctors in seeing inside the human body and also as an absorbent for sunlight, which could make them useful in making materials protecting from harmful ultraviolet light. The best part is that the process is eco-friendly, meaning one can use this technique without harming the mother earth. To make sure that they are very good, we use advanced techniques to analyze them so that everything is well in order on such a tiny scale. It is like nature's own recipe for innovation and we are enclosing it.