Measurement of particulate matter (PM) such as black carbon (BC) aerosols over urban sites is critically important owing to its adverse health and climate impacts. However, the impacts associated with BC are poorly understood primarily because of the scarcity and uncertainties of measurements of BC.

Aerosols distributed in the troposphere can scatter and absorb solar radiation and modify the Earth's radiation budget and cloud properties. The combined effect of scattering and absorption by particles is defined as aerosol extinction coefficient, is a measure of the alteration of radiant energy as it passes through the atmosphere. The aerosol extinction coefficient was derived with the space-borne lidar Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aboard the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) over the Indian region during 2008–2018.

For the first time in India, IIST researchers have generated the bright-entangled twin beams of light and measured their intensity-difference squeezing of 4 dB, corresponding to a 60% noise reduction from the Standard Quantum Limit. 

Prof. Kuruvilla’s group has come up with different protein protected nanoclusters for bio-sensing applications. The group has explored various preparation strategies and has tested the sensing ability of the prepared materials. The group is currently focusing on green and hybrid combinations of nanomaterials for sensing of biomolecules as well as extending its utility towards drug delivery.

Carbon fibers are the widely used reinforcements in fiber reinforced composites owing to their excellent properties. But they are expensive and we mostly depend on other countries for procuring them. To address this important issue, Prof. Kuruvilla’s group started investigating other polymer sources for preparation of the carbon fibers. Recently, the group has come up with the preparation of lignin-based carbon fibers and PVDF based carbon fibers, by various optimizations. These prepared carbon mats provide tremendous scope for futuristic applications.

Due to the explosive growth of electronic devices, EMI shielding has become of the most extensively studied research area. Prof. Kuruvilla’s Group is actively working on this area, with an objective to develop lightweight and flexible EMI shields. The group has come up with nanofiller loaded electrospun carbon fibers and their composites for effective and efficient EMI shielding, especially in the high frequency range. The group has developed ultra slim fiber mats with excellent shielding potential that can act as excellent polymer reinforcement.

Epoxy is one of the most used thermosetting polymers with lots of potential applications, but the brittleness of the cured epoxy composites is a major drawback that limits its usage. Prof. Kuruvilla Joseph’s group is extensively working on this area for last decade with an aim to develop toughened epoxy nanocomposites with improvement in fracture toughness with out a trade-off in other comprehensive properties. For this the group came up with design and synthesis of novel toughening agents, that will contribute to the overall property improvement of epoxy thermosets.

In an electrochemical sensor, the electro catalytic activity of the electrode plays a significant role in sensing analytes at a low concentration. The electro catalytic property of the electrode depends on the electron transfer at the electrode/electrolyte interface, surface area, and electrical conductivity of the electrode material. Though the graphene-based materials have a large surface area, fast electron transfer, and excellent electrical conductivity and have great application potential in chemical/biological sensors, they suffer limitations due to restacking.

The pollution of the majority of the world's water sources and the consequent looming clean drinking water free of pollutants and groundwater pollution which threatens the human and the ecosystem are some of the major concerns faced by the world. The various contaminants from different industrial, agricultural and domestic sources such as pesticides, other chemical contaminants, the heavy metal ions: Hg (II), Pb (II), Cd (II), and As (III) which pollute the water sources are highly toxic and are capable of causing life-threatening diseases to humans.

Nanomaterials are cornerstones of nanoscience and technology and have created a high interest in recent years by virtue of their unusual and unique properties and the various potential applications. It has found wide range of applicability in various fields such as sensors, opto-electronic devices, energy storage, bio imaging, and water treatment to name a few. Sensors based on nanomaterials, rely on the highly active surface and the high specific surface area to initiate a response even with a minute change of concentrations of the analyte species, thus enabling highly efficient sensors.