Ph.D. from Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences
Tel.: +91 (0)80 2293 2059
Email: gayathri@iisc.ac.in
Research Areas
Two dimensional (2D) materials in general have unique properties when compared to their bulk counterparts, whether the material is a molecular monolayer or a single layer of graphene. My research interest lies in understanding these 2D materials at various interfaces.
I am a trained experimental physicist in the field of soft matter physics that deals with formation and characterisation of monolayers and multilayers of organic thin films at interfaces. Liquid crystals (LCs) have made enormous contributions to the field of display technology as well as micro-electronics. Our interest was to explore some of the well known LCs in the form of monolayer and multilayers to find suitable applications in micro-electronics. In particular, studying rod like n-alkyl cyanobiphenyls and polymers of disc shaped LCs for their phase transition in monolayers at air-water interface and the charge transport studies across the monolayers at air-solid interface. We have also explored the dynamics of wetting and dewetting in nematic micro domains, which can help in understanding emulsions, recovery in oil spillage and so on.
My other area of research interest is in the field of inorganic two-dimensional materials. We are carrying out liquid exfoliation of two-dimensional materials like BN and study their effects in polymer composites.