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Indian scientists make surprise discovery: nanosheets can be chemical reagents too

Published

7 years ago

November 21, 2018

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By Dinesh C Sharma

Experimenting with extremely tiny materials – a millionth of a human hair’s breadth – is allowing scientists to create new materials and think of innovative applications for them. A group of Indian scientists has developed a nanosheet which can also act like a chemical reducing agent. The discovery can have potential applications in energy storage devices and next generation sensors.

The research team at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, has found that boron-rich nanosheets, developed by them earlier this year, can also act as a chemical reagent.

During experiments, researchers noticed that boron nanosheets could remain afloat in water for long durations. The nanosheets, they found, were remaining afloat due to hydride groups borrowed from water. This observation led them to a new idea – using nanosheets in place of sodium borohydride, a popular reagent used to chemically reduce gold salt. When gold salt was introduced in dispersion of boron-rich nanosheets, it instantly reduced and formed gold nanoparticles onto nanosheets without the need of any external help.

They found that this can be extended to synthesize platinum and silver nanoparticles by dipping nanosheets in their respective salt solutions. This means boron-rich nanosheets can function as nanoscale factories to manufacture nanoparticles by using metal ions as raw material.

“The formation of nanohybrids with gold and graphene provides the proof of concept that the inherent reducing character of these nanosheets can be availed to create diverse mixed-dimensional heterostructures in solution,” researchers observed in their study in journal Nanoscale, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. “Our initial experiments indicate that the noble metal nanoparticle-nanosheet hybrids are excellent electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction.”

Dr. Kabeer Jasuja, who led the research team, said “this is the first example of a nanosheet that is also a reducing agent, and presents a new perspective on the chemistry of nanosheets. Our work suggests that we can now design a wide range of boron-based nanohybrids in test tube. We have shown this capability by preparing a borophene-graphene like interface in solution. The concurrence of reducing nature and planarity makes these nanosheets an intriguing alternative over conventional reducing agents.”

“In essence, we have tamed down the otherwise reactive reducing agent borohydride by virtue of nanosheets. This means that now we have an access to a mild reducing agent for selective reduction of electron rich organic moieties. This research has the potential to open up new avenues in organic synthesis that will be crucial for pharmaceutical and polymer industries,” added Dr. Arnab Dutta, a member of the research team.

The work was supported by seed funding from IIT Gandhinagar, INSPIRE Faculty Award Research Grant, and Core research Grant from the Department of Science and Technology. The team included Asha Liza James, Shikha Khandelwal, Dr. Arnab Dutta and Dr. Kabeer Jasuja. (India Science Wire)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to meet PM Modi after return from historic space mission

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently returned from the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 mission, will meet PM Modi this evening. Parliament will also hold a special discussion on his historic journey.

Published

6 months ago

August 18, 2025

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Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this evening at his official residence in New Delhi.

PM Modi to host meeting with astronaut

According to officials, the meeting at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg is expected to take place between 5 pm and 5:30 pm. Shukla, who arrived in India on Sunday, will also be part of the National Space Day celebrations scheduled for August 23.

Warm welcome in India

The astronaut was greeted at the airport by his family, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and hundreds of citizens waving the national flag. Shukla had been in the United States for a year, preparing for the Axiom-4 mission, which launched from Florida on June 25 and docked at the ISS the next day. He served as the mission’s pilot.

Emotional note from Shukla

Before his return, Shukla shared an emotional post on Instagram, expressing mixed feelings of leaving his space colleagues while being eager to meet his loved ones and people of India. He also quoted a song from the film Swades, which he had chosen as his anthem on the launch day.

Parliament session on India’s space journey

In honour of Shukla’s mission, the Lok Sabha is holding a special session today to discuss “India’s first astronaut aboard the ISS – critical role of space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047.” Union minister Kiren Rijiju said the discussion would highlight the importance of India’s space achievements and future goals.

India News

Shubhanshu Shukla pens emotional note as he returns to India after space mission

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla penned an emotional Instagram post as he returned to India after his 18-day ISS mission, marking a milestone in India’s space journey.

Published

6 months ago

August 16, 2025

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Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has shared an emotional Instagram post as he heads back home after completing his 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Astronaut reflects on mixed emotions

In his heartfelt message, written from the aircraft, Shukla expressed the whirlwind of emotions he felt while leaving behind his fellow astronauts, who had been his family during the mission. “As I sit on the plane to come back to India, I have a mix of emotions running through my heart. I feel sad leaving a fantastic group of people behind who were my friends and family for the past year during this mission. I am also excited about meeting all my friends, family and everyone in the country for the first time post mission. I guess this is what life is — everything all at once,” he wrote.

Acknowledges support and inspiration

The astronaut thanked everyone for the love and support he received throughout his journey. He also recalled the words of his commander Peggy Whitson, saying, “Goodbyes are hard, but we need to keep moving in life. As my commander Peggy Whitson fondly says, ‘The only constant in spaceflight is change’. I believe that applies to life as well.”

Shukla ended his note with a line from the song Yun Hi Chala Chal from the film Swades, reflecting his spirit of resilience.

Link to India’s space ambitions

Shukla’s return comes at a crucial time as India advances its space programme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier mentioned that the astronaut would soon return and that he was tasked with documenting his training and ISS stay. This record will serve as a valuable reference for Gaganyaan, India’s first human spaceflight mission.

Over the past year, Shukla trained extensively at NASA, Axiom, and SpaceX facilities. His flight to the ISS as part of the Axiom 4 mission marked a milestone in India’s preparations for future human space exploration.

The Gaganyaan project aims to send Indian astronauts into orbit aboard an indigenous rocket. The government has also outlined plans for a Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and a crewed mission to the moon by 2040.

Latest Science News

Shubhanshu Shukla becomes second Indian in space, lifts off for ISS aboard Axiom-4 mission

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla becomes the second Indian astronaut to travel to space after four decades, aboard the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station.

Published

8 months ago

June 25, 2025

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Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force has etched his name in history as the second Indian astronaut to travel to space. Launching aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon on the Axiom-4 mission, Shukla began his journey from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from the very launchpad that propelled Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 moon mission in 1969.

Four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to journey into space in 1984, Shukla’s mission marks a monumental milestone for India’s space ambitions. Speaking ahead of the mission, Shukla expressed the emotional weight of the moment, saying, “I carry with me not just instruments and equipment, but the hopes and dreams of a billion hearts.”

A multinational crew on a scientific journey

Group Captain Shukla is joined by Commander Peggy Whitson from the US, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The four-member crew is on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), where they are scheduled to arrive after a 28-hour journey and dock around 4:30 pm tomorrow.

The fortnight-long mission includes the execution of 60 scientific experiments, with seven of them designed by Indian researchers. Shukla is also expected to engage in an interaction with a VIP from space during the mission, adding a special human touch to this scientific voyage.

A mission delayed, but not denied

The Axiom-4 launch had faced multiple delays due to unfavorable weather and technical complications. June 25 finally saw the successful launch, marking NASA’s sixth official date announcement for the mission.

Before lift-off, Shukla shared a heartfelt message with his family: “Just wait for me, I’m coming.” The Indian pilot had been under quarantine for over a month in preparation, ensuring he was in optimal health for the journey.

As the spacecraft orbits Earth en route to the ISS, India watches with pride and anticipation, inspired once again by the courage of its space pioneers.