While exploring the news for you, we would often read about research being done by scientists in other parts of the world. I would feel sad that we don’t always hear about the research of our scientists.
Then one day, I got an idea and decided to reach out to IIT Delhi, requesting them to let us feature their research, so that our children know about the brilliant work of our scientists. Prof. Ramgopal Rao consented immediately, and was kind enough to put me in touch with Prof. Ashwini Agarwal. When I heard about his work, my jaw literally dropped.
So, what is this path-breaking work? Below, we bring you a chat with Prof. Ashwini Agarwal.
Note: Nanoparticles are very, very tiny particles. They are so small that you need a special, high power microscope to see them and most normal microscopes can’t do this. They have some properties that larger particles don’t have. One of them is that nanoparticles fight microbes very effectively. (We don’t really know why. Maybe because they are both of the same size. What do you think?)
Sir, Thank you for giving us time. Tell us about this research please.
It is a tiny silver nanoparticle which is suspended in pure water with some negligible other chemicals. When we reduce silver into very fine particles, usually it takes a colour of deep yellow to deep brown. This is true of many nanoparticle materials – gold, silver, when they are reduced to the size of a few nanoparticles, and they get a colour. This color depends on the shape (spherical) and the size of the nanomaterial. Normally, nano particles of silver are spherical in shape and range from deep yellow to deep brown in colour.
When silver is converted to nanoparticles, it is able to fight microbes like bacteria very well.
This nano silver is highly anti-bacterial. But the problem is that since it has that colour, it cannot be put on all fabrics, especially light coloured fabrics. We have created triangular nano particles of silver which are blue in colour. This blue silver can be easily put on white fabrics without changing the look of the fabric and without compromising its anti-bacterial properties.
Our research is involved with making such particles in water. Spherical shapes are easy to make in water but other shapes are hard.
The second problem with nanoparticles is that they are very reactive and with time they tend to agglomerate and settle down together. Then they lose their propeties. We have solved that problem and we have dispersed them such that there is a very fine coating on them that keeps them separate from each other. That has led to longer shelf life of the product.
The product is now stable and it can be applied to a wide variety of fabrics easily, any polymeric surface but it adheres better to cotton, viscose (regenerated cellulose) wool, and silk materials.
The best thing is that it would not add weight to the fabric. Nanoparticles are not even observable under the optical microscope. They are visible only under an electron microscope.
The trade name of this compound is N9 Blue Silver. It is being currently produced by Resil Chemicals in Bangalore under a collaborative project. IIT Delhi jointly owns the patent for this in several countries – US, UK, Australia, China, and Thailand.
What are the applications?
It does not allow bacteria to grow on the fabric, so there will be no bad odour. Usually, clothes stink because the bacteria grow on our clothes and release chemicals with pungent smell. It can be used for Hospital curtains or upholstery. Mostly, we have used it for consumer products. It is currently being used by about 200 brands in India, including Wrangler Jeans (Silver shield apparel), Peter England trousers, Jockey garments, Marks and Spencer shirts, Louis Phillipe, , Colour Plus, Regatta, Park Avenue, Hanes, etc. This has also been used to make hand sanitisers. Its an alcohol free hand sanitiser. Klenza (TM) is the commercial product.
Sintex Pure (TM) water tanks also use this. It is added inside the plastic. For this, we have to extract them and put them in a non-aqueous (not water) medium. Then we can create lots of products using plastic.
How is that being done now?
There are other products that are based on some chemicals, not nanotechnology. Chemical based products are being phased out now because of their health and environment impact.
This product has been tested for safe human contact. It has a certification from Europe called OEKO-TEX. This certification is mandatory for exporting to Europe.
It is also non-leaching material. It is stable on the fabric for a very long time. It is also safe for the environment.
Please tell us about the team behind this.
Prof. Ashwini Agrawal and Prof. Manjeet Jassal. Sangeeta Paul, who was then a PhD student, also worked on this. From Resil Chemicals, the main person was Mr. Ganesh Srinivasan.
How long did it take the team to come up with this?
Research took almost 4 years and then it took Resil Chemicals another 3-4 years to upscale it and put it into application.
Then one day, I got an idea and decided to reach out to IIT Delhi, requesting them to let us feature their research, so that our children know about the brilliant work of our scientists. Prof. Ramgopal Rao consented immediately, and was kind enough to put me in touch with Prof. Ashwini Agarwal. When I heard about his work, my jaw literally dropped.
So, what is this path-breaking work? Below, we bring you a chat with Prof. Ashwini Agarwal.
Note: Nanoparticles are very, very tiny particles. They are so small that you need a special, high power microscope to see them and most normal microscopes can’t do this. They have some properties that larger particles don’t have. One of them is that nanoparticles fight microbes very effectively. (We don’t really know why. Maybe because they are both of the same size. What do you think?)
Sir, Thank you for giving us time. Tell us about this research please.
It is a tiny silver nanoparticle which is suspended in pure water with some negligible other chemicals. When we reduce silver into very fine particles, usually it takes a colour of deep yellow to deep brown. This is true of many nanoparticle materials – gold, silver, when they are reduced to the size of a few nanoparticles, and they get a colour. This color depends on the shape (spherical) and the size of the nanomaterial. Normally, nano particles of silver are spherical in shape and range from deep yellow to deep brown in colour.
When silver is converted to nanoparticles, it is able to fight microbes like bacteria very well.
This nano silver is highly anti-bacterial. But the problem is that since it has that colour, it cannot be put on all fabrics, especially light coloured fabrics. We have created triangular nano particles of silver which are blue in colour. This blue silver can be easily put on white fabrics without changing the look of the fabric and without compromising its anti-bacterial properties.
The second problem with nanoparticles is that they are very reactive and with time they tend to agglomerate and settle down together. Then they lose their propeties. We have solved that problem and we have dispersed them such that there is a very fine coating on them that keeps them separate from each other. That has led to longer shelf life of the product.
The product is now stable and it can be applied to a wide variety of fabrics easily, any polymeric surface but it adheres better to cotton, viscose (regenerated cellulose) wool, and silk materials.
The best thing is that it would not add weight to the fabric. Nanoparticles are not even observable under the optical microscope. They are visible only under an electron microscope.
The trade name of this compound is N9 Blue Silver. It is being currently produced by Resil Chemicals in Bangalore under a collaborative project. IIT Delhi jointly owns the patent for this in several countries – US, UK, Australia, China, and Thailand.
What are the applications?
It does not allow bacteria to grow on the fabric, so there will be no bad odour. Usually, clothes stink because the bacteria grow on our clothes and release chemicals with pungent smell. It can be used for Hospital curtains or upholstery. Mostly, we have used it for consumer products. It is currently being used by about 200 brands in India, including Wrangler Jeans (Silver shield apparel), Peter England trousers, Jockey garments, Marks and Spencer shirts, Louis Phillipe, , Colour Plus, Regatta, Park Avenue, Hanes, etc. This has also been used to make hand sanitisers. Its an alcohol free hand sanitiser. Klenza (TM) is the commercial product.
Sintex Pure (TM) water tanks also use this. It is added inside the plastic. For this, we have to extract them and put them in a non-aqueous (not water) medium. Then we can create lots of products using plastic.
How is that being done now?
There are other products that are based on some chemicals, not nanotechnology. Chemical based products are being phased out now because of their health and environment impact.
This product has been tested for safe human contact. It has a certification from Europe called OEKO-TEX. This certification is mandatory for exporting to Europe.
It is also non-leaching material. It is stable on the fabric for a very long time. It is also safe for the environment.
Please tell us about the team behind this.
Prof. Ashwini Agrawal and Prof. Manjeet Jassal. Sangeeta Paul, who was then a PhD student, also worked on this. From Resil Chemicals, the main person was Mr. Ganesh Srinivasan.
Research took almost 4 years and then it took Resil Chemicals another 3-4 years to upscale it and put it into application.
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