• Gender: Female
• Age: 43
• Designation: Fresh/Entry Level
• Highest Education Level: Doctrate
• Preferred Country: India
• Notice Period: 30  Days
• Work Experience: 8 Year(s)

Education

Ph.D From Harcourt Butler Technological Institute (HBTI), India, in 2014

M.Sc. (Chemistry) From Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, UP, India in 2006 with 75% 

B.Sc. (Zoology, Botany and Chemistry) From Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, UP, India in 2003 with 68%

Work Experience

Fresh/Entry Level

Ph.D Research
Thesis Title: Studies on Fullerene Containing Polymers: Synthesis and Characterization
Supervisor: Dr. Indira Nigam (Associate Professor, Plastic Technology, HBTI Kanpur)
Co- Supervisor: Dr. Dibyendu S. Bag (Scientist ‘F’- Defense Materials & Stores Research & Development Establishment)

Summary: Fullerene (C60) possesses a diverse range of unique properties such as electronic and magnetic properties, optical non-linearity, photoconductivity, high mechanical strength
and thermal stability etc. However, the poor solubility of fullerene in many organic solvents
is a major drawback that has hampered the potential applications of fullerene in various fields. This drawback is being overcome by incorporating fullerene (C60) into polymers. Thus ‘fullerene containing polymer materials’ is a novel class of processable materials with attractive properties for various applications. Hence fullerene containing polymers using vinyl monomers such as methyl methacrylate (MMA), ethyl methacrylate (EMA) and n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) were synthesized by free radical polymerization which is considered as
the easiest method for incorporating fullerene into polymers.

The kinetics of polymerization in the presence of fullerene was studied in details. These fullerene containing polymers were characterized by FTIR, NMR, UV-Vis, GPC and TGA/DSC analysis and studied for the thermal properties. The glass transition temperature (Tg)increases with increasing fullerene content because of bulky fullerene moiety which hinders the segmental motion. The onset temperature of thermal degradation as well as charresidue was also increased with increasing fullerene content. Fullerene acts as radical scavenger which resists the thermo-oxidative degradation of fullerene containing polymers. TGA analysis was also used to determine the fullerene content in the polymers.

Cross-linked fullerene containing polymers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n-butyl acrylate (BA) were also synthesized and studied for their thermal and water resistance properties. The thermal stability and water resistance property of the polymers were
improved by incorporating fullerene into polymers. Fullerene acts as nanofillers when incorporated into a cross-linked polymer matrix. Moreover, it is hydrophobic in nature. Hence it obstructs the path of water permeation inside the polymer matrix thereby improving the water resistance properties.

Fullerene containing hydrogels of poly (2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate) were synthesized
and characterized for their gel swelling properties. Also fullerene containing thermoresponsive
smart hydrogels of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) were synthesized and studied for their swelling and thermo responsive behavior. The equilibrium swelling ratio is lower for the fullerene containing hydrogels than that of the hydrogel without fullerene due to hydrophobic nature of fullerene. Again it was decreased with increasing concentration of fullerene into hydrogels. The swelling behavior of fullerene containing poly (HEMA) hydrogels was found to follow Fickian behavior. However, incorporation of fullerene in the cross-linked poly(N- isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel exhibits thermo responsive behavior with slight decrease of the lower critical solution temperature (LCST).

Papers In Conferences :
Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Study of Thermal Properties of Fullerene (C60)-n-Butyl
Methacrylate Polymers at National Seminar “Current Trends in Polymer Science and Technology
(POLY-2011)” at Jadavpur University Kolkata 28-29 Jan 2011
This paper was awarded Dr. Santhi Nath Ghosh Memorial Award for best paper presentation.

Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Swelling Study of Fullerene Containing Poly (2-Hydroxyethyl
Methacrylate) Hydrogels at “Advanced Polymers, Fibres and Fabrics (APF2)” at D. M. S. R. D. E.
Kanpur, 26-28 Dec 2011

Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Sorption properties of Fullerene Containing Cross-linked
Polymers at “Advanced Polymers, Fibres and Fabrics (APF2)” at D. M. S. R. D. E. Kanpur, 26-28 Dec
2011

Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Swelling Studies of Smart Polymeric Material at National
Seminar on “Recent Advances in Polymer Science and Technology (POLY-2012)” at N. B. University,
Darjeeling, 2-4 Nov 2012

Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Thermoresponsive Smart Hydrogels at Asian Polymer
Association (APA-2014) at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, 19-21 Feb 2014

Manuscripts Published:
Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Copolymerization of Fullerene (C60) and Methyl
methacrylate (MMA) using Triphenyl- bismuthonium Ylide as a Novel Initiator and Characterization
of the Copolymers (C60- MMA). (Journal of Macromolecular Sciences Part A- Pure and Applied
Chemistry, Volume 47, Issue 5, pages 468-477, 2010).

Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Radical Copolymerization of Fullerene (C60) and n-Butyl
Methacrylate (BMA) using Triphenyl-bismuthonium Ylide and Characterization of C60-BMA
Copolymers. (International Journal of Chemical Kinetics, Volume 43, Issue 11, pages 608-619, 2011)

Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Thermal Properties of Fullerene Containing Poly (Alkyl
Methacrylates). (Thermochimica Acta, Volume 557, pages 55-60, 2013)

Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Fullerene Containing Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Thermoresponsive Smart Hydrogels and their Swelling Behavior. (Journal of Polymer Materials, Volume 30,
Issue 1, pages 15-26, 2013)

Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Radical Polymerization of Ethyl Methacrylate (EMA) in the
Presence of Fullerene using Triphenyl bismuthonium ylide as an Initiator and Characterization of the
Synthesized Polymers. (Journal of Polymer Research, Volume 20, pages 243- 253, 2013)

Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Synthesis and Swelling Characteristics of Fullerene (C60)
Containing Cross-linked Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Hydrogels. (Adv. Mater. Lett., Volume 5, pages 214 – 222, 2014)

Manuscripts Communicated:
Rashmi Katiyar, D.S. Bag and I. Nigam. Synthesis and Characterization of Fullerene Containing Cross-linked Polymers of Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) and n-Butyl Acryla

Future Goals

Growth