Research

My work centers on visible-light photocatalysis and advanced processes for the remediation of contaminated water.

My doctoral research at the University of the Punjab addressed the removal and degradation of textile dyes, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals from simulated wastewater using engineered nanomaterials and green sorbents, complemented by systematic kinetic, thermodynamic, and mechanistic analysis. Across more than a decade in higher education and analytical research — including a dedicated research-analyst appointment and the independent supervision of 13+ MPhil and BS research projects — I have developed end-to-end competence in nanophotocatalyst synthesis, structural and optical characterization, photocatalytic reaction design, and reaction-kinetics modeling.

Key figures from my peer-reviewed papers — photocatalysts first, then green biosorbents. Click a figure to enlarge it, or open the paper on the Publications page.

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  2026Chemical PapersPhotocatalysis

  Zn–Mo co-doped ZrO₂ under visible light

  Proposed mechanism: LED light excites the catalyst, and the resulting electron–hole pairs form reactive oxygen species (•OH, •O₂⁻) that break Congo Red and ciprofloxacin down to CO₂, water and inorganic ions.

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  2026Iranian J. CatalysisPhotocatalysis

  Vanadium-doped zirconia

  Synthesis route: gel formation, aging, sonication, filtration and calcination to ZrO₂.

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  2020Desalin. Water Treat.Biosorption

  Phthalate-functionalized Sorghum bicolor

  SEM micrographs (500×) of the sorghum biosorbent used to remove Alizarin Red S and Bromophenol Blue.

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  2019Water, Air, & Soil PollutionBiosorption

  Citric acid–functionalized Bougainvillea spectabilis

  Citric acid adds carboxyl groups to the plant surface, which then capture Pb²⁺ through electrostatic interaction and ion exchange.

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  2023Desalin. Water Treat.Biosorption

  Xanthate-modified Phaseolus vulgaris

  Carbonization, alkalization, xanthation and Mg substitution create binding sites for lead and cadmium.

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  2022Desalin. Water Treat.Biosorption

  Modified Trifolium alexandrinum

  Methanol, formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde modifications of clover biomass for Cr(III) removal.

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  2021Journal of ChemistryBiosorption

  Haplophragma adenophyllum biowaste

  Possible routes by which Gentian Violet dye binds to the powdered bark. First-author paper.

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  2019Desalin. Water Treat.Biosorption

  Bougainvillea spectabilis stalks & leaves

  FTIR spectrum showing the hydroxyl, carbonyl and alkyl groups that bind Cd(II) and Cu(II).

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All publications →

A major strand of my research is the design and synthesis of transition-metal-doped and co-doped zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) photocatalysts.

I co-developed vanadium-doped ZrO₂ (V–ZrO₂) and zinc–molybdenum co-doped ZrO₂ (Zn–Mo–ZrO₂) systems in which dopant identity and loading, calcination conditions, and phase composition were tuned to narrow the band gap, suppress electron–hole recombination, and activate the catalyst under visible light — work published in Chemical Papers (2026) and the Iranian Journal of Catalysis (2026). In parallel I have advanced green, plant-mediated synthesis of metal and bimetallic nanocatalysts — including Aloe barbadensis–mediated zirconium nanohybrids (BioNanoScience, in press) and, through supervised student research, Cymbopogon citratus–derived Cu@Zr, Ni–Mo@Zr, and Mg@Zr nanoparticles — giving me hands-on command of low-toxicity, sustainable routes to catalytic nanomaterials with controlled size, morphology, and surface functionality.

I have designed and executed systematic photocatalytic degradation experiments against recalcitrant organic pollutants under visible and LED irradiation.

Targets include the azo/triarylmethane dyes Congo Red, Gentian Violet, and Malachite Green, and the fluoroquinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin. These studies systematically varied catalyst dose, initial pollutant concentration, pH, and irradiation time; quantified degradation by UV–Vis spectrophotometry; and evaluated catalyst reusability and stability over successive cycles. I performed reaction-kinetics modeling (pseudo-first-/second-order and Langmuir–Hinshelwood analysis) and mechanistic studies using reactive-species scavenging to identify the dominant radicals (•OH, O₂•⁻, h⁺) driving mineralization, establishing clear structure–activity relationships for the doped-oxide systems.

I am hands-on across the characterization workflow for photocatalytic and sorbent materials.

I use XRD for phase and crystallinity, FTIR for surface functional groups, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance for band-gap estimation, and SEM/TEM for morphology. During a dedicated research-analyst post at the University of the Punjab I operated, calibrated, and maintained ICP-OES, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), FTIR, HPLC, and flame photometry for quantitative water-quality and trace-elemental analysis, giving me a strong analytical foundation for tracking reaction intermediates and degradation products.

My doctoral, MPhil, and MSc research collectively built deep expertise in green biosorption for dye and heavy-metal removal.

Each sorbent was given complete equilibrium-isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic characterization — among them Haplophragma adenophyllum bark, phthalate-functionalized Sorghum bicolor, and functionalized Bougainvillea and Trifolium biomass. I have supervised the fabrication of nanocellulose–pectin composite beads for adsorptive dye removal. This dual command of pollutant capture (adsorption) and destruction (photocatalysis) underpins my interest in integrated “capture-and-destroy” materials and reactor concepts.

Thirteen MPhil and BS research projects supervised, 2022–2026 — from photocatalysts and green nanoparticles to trace-metal detection and herbal formulations.