Johannesburg, South Africa (CU)_ Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing sector of breakthrough technology, with its origins dating back to the 1800s. In the past, a large number of nanomaterials have been produced and used in many fields. These include a wide range of elements and compounds, such as TiO2 and other metallic nanoparticles, and are not restricted to carbon nanomaterials. Kriveshini Pillay, a Professor at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in the Department of Chemical Sciences, claimed that such materials have been marked for their unique characteristics, which can be used in medicinal, electrical, water treatment, and forensic applications.
During the professorial inauguration address themed “Nanotechnology as a tool towards solving South African problems,” Professor Kriveshini Pillay spoke about the role of nanotechnology in water treatment and forensic science. She said, “The ultimate goal of the research is to go beyond the laboratory experimental work, to introduce nanotechnologies in water treatment, forensic science and law enforcement to promote water security and crime-free environments, which is why this technology has gained tremendous significance”.
Prof Pillay’s inauguration was held on Thursday, September 2, 2021, in the Ubuntu Chambers of the University, Madibeng Building, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus. Prof Kriveshini Pillay stated that to tackle the two major challenges of poor water quality and criminality in South Africa, future ideas on leveraging nanotechnology to market these research projects in the 4IR regime should be utilized. She said, “This will remove toxic water pollutants on site to ensure improved water quality for rural communities and automated tracking of water pollutants and the development of new nanocomposites and nanomaterials to address crimes will be geared towards improving blood detection and latent fingerprint detection.”
