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Department of Chemistry

Department of Chemistry

Research Groups

Application of Analytical Methods in Quality Assurance
BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Developments and Applications of nano-materials
Electrochemistry and Photochemistry
Organic Synthesis and Natural products
Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

Prof. K M Nalin de Silva

  • Water and gas purification
  • Smart textiles and apparel
  • Value addition to minerals
  • Anti-cancer natural compounds and their effective delivery using advanced materials
  • Biodegradable polymers
  • Smart materials through electrospining technology.

Prof. Dhammike Dissanayake

  • Study of mechanisms
  • Application of quantum mechanics to calculate molecular properties and reaction mechanisms
  • Sensor development

Prof. Samantha Weerasinghe

  • Molecular dynamics
  • Drug Discovery
  • Molecular docking
  • Stability of clusters in gas phase
  • structure and stability of proteins

Prof Ranil Dassanayake

  • Transgenic Technology (Dengue mosquito, Zebra fish)
  • filariasis
  • Cancers
  • Molecular diagnostics
  • protein expression & purification

Prof. Chamari Hettiarachchi

  • Plant Transgenics
  • abiotic & biotic stresses
  • Protein expression and purification
  • Screening of Natural products for antimicrobial
  • anticancer drug development
  • screening for endophytic fungi

Prof. W Rohini M de Silva

  • To remove heavy metals, toxic anions, hardness, and organic dyes as well as bio polutants from water.
  • To achieve targeted delivery of anticancer and other drugs.
  • To develop smart textiles via electrospining.
  • To develop hydrophobic, transparent and insulating coatings.
  • To develop photo catalyst to remove chemical toxins and bio toxins. Value addition to minerals.
  • To develop processes to convert illumanite to useful Titanium compounds. Polymer composites to reduce abrasion and increase heat conduction. Identify structural changes for the process of preparing Ayurvedic medicine called “kajjali”.

Dr. Neranga I Abeyasinghe

  • Spectroscopy
  • Organic Photo voltaics
  • Nonlinear spectroscopy
  • Fluorescent sensing
  • Chromophore synthesis
  • Quantum-confined nano clusters
  • Computational Calculations
  • Plant extracts for disease therapy
  • Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) of biomarkers

Dr. Hasini Rangika Perera

  • Development and analysis of ion selective electrodes
  • development and analysis of electroanalytical sensors
  • Corrosion inhibition – using coating, using particles

Dr. H Ireshika C De Silva

  • Synthesis of heterocyclic compounds with poetntial bilogical activities
  • Investigation of catalytic activity of plant extracts based nanoparticles in various organic reactions
  • Isolation of bioactive natural products from Sri Lankan herbal plants and their endophytic fungi, Value addition to natural products.

Prof. K R Ranjith Mahanama

  • Air quality
  • water quality
  • food characterization
  • investigation on adulterants
  • food composition
  • developing quality indices

Dr. Aashani Tillekaratne

  • Development of materials for drug delivery, bioimaging and sensory applications.
  • Studying surface chemistry and catalytic activity of developed materials.
  • Computational calculations of catalytic materials

Dr. M N Kaumal

  • Analytical method development and validation, Laboratory management, Electrochemistry, Analytical Instrumentation, paper-based device development, portable electrochemical sensor development.
  • Intellectual property management and technology transfer, Innovation commercialization, Chemical education.

Dr. Gayathri N Silva

  • Riboswitches
  • CRISPR
  • Cell culture
  • Functional analysis of proteins

Dr. S M Vithanarachchi

  • Luminescent Sensors and MRI contrast agents development and applications
  • Plant extract-based metal nano particles synthesis and applications
  • Biodegradable polymer development