Sharif Iraqu | Material Science | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Sharif Iraqu | Material Science | Best Researcher Award

Indira Gandhi National Tribal University | India

Dr. Sharif Iraqu is a dedicated researcher and academician in the field of Chemistry, currently serving as a Guest Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, Naveen Government Girls College, Pendra Road, Chhattisgarh. He completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (a Central University established by an Act of Parliament, Government of India), Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, with his doctoral thesis focusing on “Selectivity in metal ion sensing and dye degradation capabilities of chalcopyrite and cadmium sulfide nanoparticles.” He also holds an M.Sc. (2020) and B.Sc. (Hons.) (2018) in Chemistry from the same university. Dr. Iraqu has contributed as a Project Associate at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University under a project funded by the Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), Delhi, and has been recognized with prestigious fellowships, including the UGC-University Fellowship (2021–2023) and IUAC Project Fellowship (2023–2024). His research primarily centers on the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials with enhanced functionalities for environmental applications, such as wastewater treatment and pollutant removal. His work encompasses photocatalytic dye degradation, heavy metal ion sensing, insecticide detection, and theoretical studies using Density Functional Theory (DFT) to explore molecular interactions and reactivity. Dr. Iraqu’s future research aims to design functional semiconductor nanomaterials and heterojunction architectures for efficient water purification, environmental remediation, and large-scale photocatalytic applications, bridging theoretical insights with experimental advancements for sustainable technological solutions.

Profiles: Orcid 

Featured Publications

"Bi-functional aqueous starch capped CdS quantum dots synthesis and their application as sensor of heavy metal-ions as well as photocatalytic dye degradation, Journal of Molecular Liquids, Sajiya Iraqui; Arati Dubey; Irudhayaraj Savarimuthu; Ajay Shankar; Adhish Jaiswal; Indra Bahadur; Imran Uddin; Faruq Mohammad, 2023"

Edwin Tonderai Mombeshora | Energy Materials | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Edwin Tonderai Mombeshora | Energy Materials | Best Researcher Award

University of Pretoria | South Africa

Dr. Edwin Tonderai Mombeshora is a materials chemist and academic currently serving as Lecturer in Physical Chemistry at the University of Pretoria (since January 2025), where he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses, supervises honours and postgraduate students, and coordinates second-year Physical Chemistry practicals, with a research focus on materials development and physicochemical characterization for energy storage applications. He previously lectured in Physical and Materials Chemistry at the University of Zimbabwe (2022–2024) and held several research positions, including Postdoctoral Fellowships at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Swansea University, and the University of the Witwatersrand, specializing in nanomaterials science, electrochemical energy storage systems, biorefinery, and energy conversion. Dr. Mombeshora earned his PhD (2018) and MSc (2015) in Materials Chemistry from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a BSc Honours in Chemistry (2011) from the University of Zimbabwe. His expertise spans nanotechnology, carbon materials, and energy devices such as solar cells and supercapacitors. He is the recipient of several prestigious fellowships and research grants, including awards from the Water Research Commission, the Australia Africa Universities Network, and the University of Johannesburg’s Global Excellence Stature Fellowship, as well as the SACI Postgraduate Award (2018). Dr. Mombeshora has supervised and mentored students across undergraduate, MSc, and PhD levels, contributed to international conferences, served as guest editor for MDPI’s Processes, and co-authored research articles in leading journals such as RSC Materials Advances, Journal of Materials Science, and Journal of Nanobiotechnology. He is also co-inventor of a US-patented electroconductive composite (2020) and an active member of professional bodies including the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the South African Chemical Institute (SACI).

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

"Pristine graphene oxide treatment of wastewater from a typical sub-tropical mine in Chegutu, Zimbabwe"

"Towards high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells by utilizing reduced graphene oxide-based composites as potential alternatives to conventional electrodes: A review"

"The prospects of biologically derived materials in perovskite solar cells"

"Towards high-performance lithium-ion batteries by introducing graphene-based materials into LiFePO4 cathodes: A review"

"Dynamics of reduced graphene oxide: synthesis and structural models"

Julian Plewa | Mechanical Metamaterials | Best Academic Researcher Award

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Dr. Julian Plewa | Mechanical Metamaterials | Best Academic Researcher Award

University of Silesia Katowice | Poland

Dr. Julian Plewa is a distinguished professor of Materials Sciences at the University of Silesia, Katowice, with an academic career spanning over four decades in metallurgy, thermodynamics, and advanced materials research. He earned his M.Sc. in Metallurgy (1973) and Ph.D. in Technical Sciences (1979) from AGH University of Science and Technology, followed by his habilitation in Materials Sciences (2005) at Silesia University of Technology, and was appointed Full Professor in 2019 at the University of Silesia. His extensive teaching experience includes roles at Silesia University of Technology, the University of Applied Sciences Muenster, and Cracow University of Technology, where he taught courses ranging from thermodynamics and non-ferrous metallurgy to nanoceramics and functional materials. His research contributions encompass thermodynamics of metallurgical processes, high-temperature superconductors, thermoelectrics, optical materials, and more recently, metamaterials with auxetic properties. With an impressive portfolio of influential publications in international journals, Dr. Plewa’s work continues to advance the fields of ceramics, phosphors, nanotechnology, and mechanical metamaterials, establishing him as a leading figure in functional and structural materials research.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

"Dynamics of Polymeric Re-Entrant Auxetic Structures: Cyclic Compression Studies"

"Partially Auxetic Structure of Rotating Rectangles"

"Partially Auxetic Structure of Rotating Rectangles"

"Metallic Metamaterials with Auxetic Properties: Re-Entrant Structures"

"Experimental Study of Auxetic Structures Made of Re-Entrant (“Bow-Tie”) Cells"